A Love That Shines Like Snow
by fireicegirl16
Summary: The Guardians help protect the children's and Sighter's faiths . Kailani, Jamie's older sister, happens to be a Sighter. But when she begins to lose her faith, Jack Frost helps her believe again. But Pitch is winning and Jack has to defeat Pitch once and for all for Kailani and the children's sake. But there's just one problem. He's fallen in love with her without knowing it.
1. Kailani 1

She heard the crunch of the snow as her boot covered feet walked up the snow covered street. It was cold but with the yellow rays of sun touching the atmosphere, causing the white snow to glitter like diamonds. She smiled warmly, taking off her black fingerless gloves to touch the white snow that number her fingers red. The cold wind blew against her face and honey brown hair that was covered in a dark purple hat that covered her ears.

She sniffed, loving the feel of the cold burn her lungs and throat.

It reminded her of the days when things were good before they took a turn for the worst. She lost so much at a young age, including her brother Jamie and her sister Sophie.

She was glad they didn't get the big brunt of the cruelty that was once their happy lives. She sighed again, watching her breath form a puff of white cloud before disappearing. She blew on her tanned hands to warm them before putting on her gloves again. She walked again, turning the corner of Walderf Street that was being sprinkled with melting salt by workers in orange.

She placed her hands inside her black jacket as she walked past them, being careful not to be sprinkled by the salts. After another half an hour of walking, her breath coming out in white puffs of smoke, her nose red and her pink lips chapped from the cold; she was finally here.

**HEFTILL CEMETERY,** it said in big, black letters that curved down slightly on the gold gates with the tips pointed up like a devil's tail.

She scoffed at the gold gate, wondering who in their damn right mind would paint a cemetery in gold.

As if it was a beautiful place to be in after you died. It was stupid.

No one was glad to be buried on the ground, being eaten away at maggots until there was nothing left but bones. Even the damn bones would eventually turn to dust and soon everyone wouldn't remember the dead anymore.

They _should've_ painted the cemetery gates black to show people that death wasn't as cracked up as everyone made it to be.

Are the dead going to care if the gates were gold or not? No, because they're dead.

No matter how much she wished it wasn't the case.

Sighing, she pushed the gates open, the gates creaking, the sound echoing across the headstones and into the cemetery. She walked, surprised that the there was not much snow in here then out there.

She walked, her body already knowing where she wanted to go. It took a few minutes until she finally got to the place that she both wanted to be and leave. She stared at the gray headstone, the frosting of snow covering it and the ground where the person she loved was there. Brushing away the snow from the headstone and ground, she kneeled, the cold seeping past her jeans and into her skin, causing her to shiver, but she did not move.

"Hi, Dad." She said softly, her voice cracking with the thickness of emotion.

She cleared her throat which hurt. She didn't want to cry. Not anymore.

"I miss you." She cleared her throat again, finding it difficult to talk when her throat had a lump the size of a tennis ball.

"Jamie's big now. You'd hardly recognize him now if you were still here. Sophie just turned three now. Mom forgot her birthday. _Again_. Not that that's new."

She couldn't help the surge of anger and resentment rise in her as she thought of her mother.

Her mother, who forgot about them when their father died.

Her mother, who was so lost in her grief that she didn't realize that Jamie and Sophie had turned to her as the mother figure.

Her mother, who didn't pay attention whether the bills got paid or if there was food on the table.

Her mother, who now wants to be a mother after three years and doesn't realize the tension between the kids and herself.

Kailani tried to let go of her resentment and anger but she couldn't. She was only 14 when she took on the role of being a mother to her younger siblings. Her mother didn't even notice the remarks Kailani made to her whenever she tried to do something motherlike and being rejected subtly by the kids.

"Did I do something to make you angry?" Her mother would ask her when Kailani had put the kids to sleep after pushing away their mother so Kailani could read them a story and make sure they had hot milk with sugar to help them sleep.

Kailani had to clench her fists and bite her tongue until it bled so she wouldn't say anything hurtful to her mother.

"Why?" Kailani had asked hotly.

Her mother, with the brown eyes her brother, Jamie inherited, blinked with confusion.

"Jamie and Sophie don't seem to like me and you always seem so serious. You used to be happy and cheerful. What happened?"

_Dad's death happened. You checking out for three damn years happened._

She wanted to say it. They were clawing up her throat and banging at her teeth to get out in the open air. She bit her lip to stifle them.

"What do you _think_ happened?"

"I know after your father's death, I wasn't here as often as I'd like to be..."

Kailani interrupted her harshly, not standing the note of pleading and understanding in her mother's voice. "As often as you'd_liked?!_ You were _never_ here. You haven't _been_ here for three goddamn years!"

Her mother gasped, hurt filling her watery eyes. "Kailani, I lost my husband. How did you expect me to act?"

"Don't ask for pity because you're not getting it from me. I was 14, mom! 14 when I paid the bills, took Jamie to school and had the neighbors babysit Sophie. I had to learn how to cook and get a job to pay our house so we wouldn't lose it! All you ever did was sit there and look blankly at the T.V. I had to force feed you! Sophie cried for you! Jamie cried for you!_I_ cried for you! We all did for months and all you ever did was ignore us!" Kailani was shaking with the anger, her cheeks flushed and her breathing heavy.

"That's not fair. I was grieving..."

"So were we! We grieved for dad and for you! You were supposed to be there for us! We had to suffer together, become a family so we wouldn't fall apart but you never cared!"

"Of course I cared but it was so hard. I didn't know what to do." Her mother's eyes were filled with pain and grief and tears and Kailani felt a small sense of guilt for putting this on her mother.

"3 years, mom! You shouldn't have left us alone for three years. _Especially_ Sophie and Jamie. I could have taken care of myself but not them."

"Stop it! _Stop it!_ You can't understand how it is to lose someone you love and feel like you wanna die!" Her mother was raising her voice in anger and accusation.

Her mother should _not_ get angry. It was her fault for leaving them alone.

"I lost dad! I lost him! We all did! You weren't the only one! I wanted to stop everything and give up but I had my brother and sister to think about! I thought about them and forced myself to grow up!"

"You turned them against me! They hate me! Sophie doesn't want me to put on her diapers and Jamie doesn't want me to dress him anymore!"

Kailani was stunned into silence. Her mother had just proved her point.

"It's true, isn't it?!" Her mother yelled.

All that anger turned into resentment and disbelief. She didn't want to do this anymore. Blinking back tears of frustration and anger, she stood up.

"Actually, mother. You just proved my point. Sophie _doesn't_ wear diapers. She hasn't for a year now. And Jamie has been dressing himself for two years now. You'd know that if you stopped being selfish and paid attention."

Her mother was gaping like a fish and Kailani shook her head before heading to her room and cried herself to sleep. The cold wind bit at her red cheeks and she returned to the present. She touched her cheeks to warm them and was not surprised to feel her tears frozen on her cheeks.

"Sorry, Dad. I kinda got lost there for a moment. Well, I got her the princess set and invited her friends from daycare. She was high on sugar and broke a vase and she crashed in the middle of the party." Kailani giggled before sobering up.

"Oh, Dad. I feel so lost." She murmured, the chill of the air biting her cheeks, the wetness of the snow seeping into her clothes, but she refused to move.

"I'm so lost without you. I miss you _so_ much." She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears at bay.

She was losing him every day. The way his laughter boomed, the way his eyes crinkled with joy, the way his arms would hug her tightly and whisper, _"my beautiful princess."_

She was losing it all. She couldn't remember how he smelled or looked. It felt like she was looking through a dirty glass and no matter how hard she tried to clean it, it never got cleaner.

And she knew it was because she was forced to grow up and set aside her needs for those of her siblings.

All she had left of him was his stories of the Easter Bunny and so forth. But each day, she was struggling to believe in them. It was her last link to her father, the_only_ link and she didn't want to give it up. With each day that passed, she was losing a fighting battle. She wanted someone to tell her, to show her that the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy and so many other were real.

She wanted something. _Anything._

And the only person who could do such a thing was gone.

"I want to believe, dad. I want to believe in everything you told me but it's just so hard. I'm 17 and no one my age believes in fairy-tales. But I do. I want to, dad. It's all I have left of you. I can't even remember how you look or smell. Your stories are my last connection to you. I don't want to give that up. Give _you_ up. But..."

She couldn't continue that thought. She tilted her head back and blinked back her tears. She didn't know how long she stayed there but she felt the wind bite her and she shivered.

"I love you, Dad. I'll come by soon." She murmured, tears of sadness and longing cutting down her frozen cheeks. She pressed three fingertips to her mouth and kissed them before placing them on her father's headstone.

"I love you."

She sighed and stood up, not bothering to brush off the snow off her jeans. She let her fingers linger on the gray headstone as she walked past until they were no longer connected.


	2. Jack 2

"Haha...now _that...that_ was fun." Jack said laughing, as he hung from atop of the tallest building. "Hey Wind! Take me home!"

A carpet of wind rushed towards him as he let go, the rush of being one with the wind crashed through him as wind flew him back home in Burgess, Pennsylvania. He was ecstatic, having no interest of being bound by rules or obligations. He loved causing personal amusement for him and the children. He laughed as he thought of that kid's expression when Jack froze the water the exact moment his tongue touched the water, leaving him frozen.

He floated like a snowflake as the wind rushed him home and finally pushed him down past the clouds and into the recognizable and familiar street that was his home.

He used wind to carry home past cars and people and stores and towards the lake, sliding on the ice before jumping up, causing a strong gust of wind hit Jamie's book and causing it to fall.

Jack landed next to the book and saw the title,_ "Mysterious times. They're out there"_

"Huh, that looks interesting." Jack said curiously as Jamie hurried to pick up the book, wiping off the dirt. "Is it a good book?"

His friends came and cheered yelling, "Snow day!"

"Haha, you're welcome." Jack said, happy that the kids were enjoying the snow he made for them.

"Hey guys, wait up!" Jamie yelled as he chase after his friends whilst Jack followed. "Are you guys coming to the egg hunt sunday?!"

"Yeah!"

"I hope we can find an egg in all this snow."

"...in Michigan! That's like superclose!" Jamie exclaimed happily as he put away the book and grabbed his sled.

"Here we go again," His friend with the jersey sighed.

Jamie and his friends talked excitedly about a video they saw as Jack walked on top of the wooden fences, his staff on his shoulders, hands hanging from it.

"And the Easter Bunny?"

"The Easter Bunny _is_ real."

"Yeah, he's real, all right. Real annoying, real grumpy, and_ really_ full of himself." Jack said as he flew off the fence to hover nearby.

"Haha, you'll really believe anything."

"Easter Bunny! Hop! Hop! Hop! _Ow!_" Sophie fell down the stairs as the greyhound sniffed her.

"Kailani, Sophie fell again." Jamie yelled into the house.

"Kailani?" Jack murmured confused. He never heard a Kailani. Come to think of it, he only saw the mother and no one else. Who was Kailani?

His question was answered when he saw a girl with long honey brown hair and tanned skin as she rushed down the stairs towards Sophie.

"Oh, Sophie. Are you okay?" The girl murmured as Sophie sniffled and whined. "It's okay. You don't need to cry. You're tough."

Sophie smiled and stood up quickly. The girl turned and sighed before walking after Jamie. "Jamie, hat!"

Jamie sighed and turned begrudgingly. "Kai..."

"Don't you _Kai_ me. I'm your older sister. It's my job to take care of you. Besides, we don't want Jack Frost snooping at your nose." She said before putting on his hat.

Jack was intrigued by the girl and felt a jolt when her gaze passed him as she turned around to head back into the house.

"Who's Jack Frost?"

Jack froze, hoping and wondering if this girl knew anything about him. He saw her freeze as if blocked by a wall of ice and he felt the tenseness of her body leave her body in waves. She turned and Jack's eyes widened when he saw the loss and yearning in them. He saw a debate in them, as if she was wondering how much to tell Jamie.

"You know something about me?" Jack asked, knowing full well she couldn't hear him but hoping anyways.

She sighed softly as if in pain before speaking. "Jack Frost is..."

"No one, honey, it's just an expression." Everyone turned to see the older woman who was their mother come out of the house.

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed, hating that Kailani was being interrupted just as she was about to say something. About _him._

Jamie, Sophie, Kailani froze and Jack felt the tense atmosphere surrounding all of them. Jack felt the most hostile emotion coming from Kailani. Jamie looked towards Kailani and she smiled, which caused something in Jack's body to warm up in a way he hadn't felt since the Man of the Moon woke him up.

"Go play. I'll come out in a bit after I fix Sophie a snack, okay?" Kailani said, her voice trying to hide the irritation and anger in them. Jamie didn't notice it but Jack did.

300 years of being not seen but seeing other people made him a pretty well person reader. Kailani intrigued him and he felt a pull towards her. She was beautiful and she knew something about him. She _had_ to. She was going to say something about him until her mother interrupted her. Jamie smiled and ran off to play as Kailani turned, the carefully concealed irritation and anger breaking through her facade now that Jamie was gone and Sophie was playing with the dog.

"Why isn't he at school? Or you?" The woman asked and Kailani sighed. Jack saw her fists clench and wondered why she hated her mother so much.

"It's a snow day. You'd know that if you paid attention to us." She hissed out quietly but with anger. Jack flinched at the tone of her voice and was not surprised when her mother did the same.

"I'm _trying._" Her mother murmured, clutching her arms together.

"You're a bit late for that, don't you think?" Kailani said as she went towards Sophie.

"It's not my fault."

"No, it's _never_ your fault. It's _my_ fault for turning them against you, it's _my_ fault I took your role when you were too lost to do it yourself, it's _my_ fault I took them from you. It's always my damn fault!" Kailani said loudly and Jack flinched again. She may as well have yelled and it wouldn't have made a difference.

"Well, if you had give them to me when I want to spend time with them..."

"They don't want to be _near_ you. I_ let_ you try but they always come back to me! Why? Because I did what you were supposed to do three years ago. I raised them, mother. It's not my fault that they gravitate towards the one person who actually cared and paid attention to them."

"I care! But it was..."

"Hard, I know." Jack noticed the weariness in her voice now as if they had this argument so many times before to no avail. "But we lost our Dad too, mom. It hurts the same and it was hard for all of us but you left us on our own and left _me_ to pick up your job."

"Not all of us are as perfect as you, Kailani." Her mother hissed almost angrily.

Jack felt a surge of protectiveness when he saw Kailani reel back as if she got slapped. "I never said I was."

Her mother crossed her arms and watched as Kailani leaned down to pick up Sophie and head inside, noticing a lone tear on her cheek before she disappeared into the house. Jack didn't know what was going on with Kailani and her mother but he wanted to find out. Especially about the girl who knew something about him.

He wanted to know what she knew.


	3. Kailani 3

**I want to thank the following people:Reader, Guest #1, #2, #3, #4, Doctor Frostybuscus, Lady Minuialwen, XxAsuraXxJinchuuriKIxX, cuteknight101, and Kori-Luna-Rose16. Your reviews meant so much to me. And Guest who said nipping not snooping, thanks for that. I honestly couldn't understand which one was it but thank you. So excited for the DVD to come out March 12. I already ordered it on Amazon! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and keep on reviewing. Next update will be on Monday.**

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She sighed as she walked to follow Jamie and his friends so she could keep her eye on him without actually doing it. She would play snowball fight with him but not be so intrusive. He was growing up now and he was showing signs that he wanted his space.

She didn't like to see him growing up so fast, especially without a father. She understood why he spent so much time with his male friends and not female friends. Boys at his age don't usually hang out with girl despite the fact that they had a father. It was just one of those things about growing up.

And Sophie.

Her sweet baby sister was growing up to with no memory of their father.

She looked up to see the sky before lowering her head to the ground as she walked, the crunch of the dirtying snow making itself known. She was saddened to hear the three words from Jamie's lips before he left to play with his sled.

_Who's Jack Frost?_

She was stunned into place as he said those words innocently, not realizing that they slashed at her already weakened faith and hope.

_Who's Jack Frost?_

How could he not remember? How could he forget Jack Frost, the spirit who was in charge of snow and fun? How could he forget that their father was the one who told them stories about Jack Frost at night?

How could Jamie forget?

How could he?

It just wasn't fair that he didn't remember their father but now his memories of the stories their father told were no longer there made her heart break.

And her mother.

How could her own mother say it was just an 'expression'?

How could her own mother say that when her mother knew damn well it was their father who talked about Jack Frost and told them stories about the spirit of fun and joy?

How could her mother diminish Jamie's faith by saying it was nothing?

It was so much more than that.

It was the connection they shared with their father. His beliefs and faith passed onto them and now her mother was just saying it was an expression.

Was her mother_ trying_ to destroy her last connection to her father? Was she _trying_ to destroy the last link connecting them to their father?

If so, she was slowly succeeding. Kailani didn't know how long she could still cling to the breaking rope of faith and belief. Each day it cracked and untangled the longer she held on. She knew it wouldn't be long before the rope broke and she would fall down into the chasm of reality with a resounding thud.

She wished her father was here, to tell her that everything was going to be okay. But he wasn't and it hurt , it hurt _so_ much and she couldn't keep holding onto her childhood tightly like a baby would her favorite blanket or toy. Time was running out and she was going to grow up soon and let go of her father in order to grow up.

But she couldn't. Not yet. Letting go of her faith of the Guardians meant letting go of her father and she couldn't do it. She just couldn't.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't pay attention to where she was going. She wouldn't have noticed the guy with the white hair and the staff anyways, but for some reason she did and she bumped into him before falling onto the snow, her butt throbbing with cold and pain as she gritted her teeth.

She looked up and saw the guy who looked like he'd seen a ghost. He had blue eyes, pale skin and white hair. He was tall and thin. He was wearing a blue hooded sweater with frost covering around the ring of the collar and trousers bound with a lighter material starting from the knee down to the end; the bottom of the trousers looked rather tattered.

He seemed barefoot and she was felt a pull towards him. "What the heck?!" She demanded hotly.

The guy blinked with his mouth agape. "You...you can _see_ me?"

"Of course I can bloody see you! You're right there!" She yelled as she closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to close off any unladylike words at him. She opened her eyes, her mouth open ready to demand that he help her up since _he _was the one that crashed into _her._ He was standing right there but when she looked up he was gone, as if he was never there.

She frowned, her knees falling together in the middle, one crossing over the other. Where was he?

"Um...dude?" She asked, feeling a bit awkward talking to the air while sprawled on the cold as it seeped past her clothes and into her skin.

"Um...guy with white hair and a stick?" She asked again, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She looked around but saw no one except Jamie and his friends heading up the street. She was convinced she imagined the guy. Who had white hair except old dudes? But the guy she saw for a few seconds was definitely not old. He was young and looked hot but she shook her head.

"I'm seeing things now. I'm starting to crack." She was still on the ground and saw a couple of old people looking at her strangely.

Maybe she should get up now or risk hypothermia. But honestly, she didn't know what to do. Where the heck did the guy go? She looked around but didn't see him anywhere. He couldn't have just ran off or anything. She would've seen him. It almost looked like he just disappeared in thin air.

She was seriously starting to question her state of mind.

Standing up, she slapped the snow off her butt, searching around for a certain boy with white hair but shook her head when she caught herself searching.

She was seriously starting to lose it. It must be the cold getting to her head. Her butt was numb with cold and she massaged it to warm it up as she walked.

As soon as she got home, she was going to drink a big cup of steaming hot chocolate and take a nap. She was seriously beginning to question her mind.


	4. Kailani 4

**Again thanks for your review..it keeps me motivated. As for the questions and wonderings you have of the previous question, I did it on purpose to keep you guys guessing. A hint: There's a reason why she could only see him briefly and it has to do with WHAT she is. She's human though but she is something...It will be revealed in later chapters as the story progresses. So hopefully, you guys can hold out. Here is the next chapter and review please hope you enjoy.**

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"It was awesome and then I was flying down the hill..." Jamie was excited as he showed Sophie how he flew down a hill on his sled and crashed into the snow.

Kailani didn't think so. She nearly had heart attack when Jamie had told her, quite excitedly about his sleigh ride. Kailani felt her heart jump in her throat when Jamie described something awesome to him but terrifying to her. She didn't say that, of course. She didn't want to ruin his excitement. Sophie seemed to be entertained at least as Jamie explained with his toy rocket.

"...and then bam!" Jamie fell onto the bed as their dog, Abby watched and Sophie wow'd at every moment. "And and look, my tooth came out!"

Sophie pointed and laughed and Kailani turned to see that yes, he did lose his tooth. She was going to die at the age of 17 from too many heart attacks. Had she seen this in action, she probably would have called the S.W.A.T team to get Jamie into safety. She couldn't help it. She was constantly worrying about his safety and based on what he was telling about the sleigh ride, he was in danger more than once.

But no matter how hard or how fast her heart seemed to do whenever Jamie exclaimed about a certain situation, she didn't want to reprimand him. He was a kid and he needed fun. And he did have fun. She just wished it was more danger free but hey, what could she do?

He was here, safe and getting ready for bed and_ that_ was all that really mattered.

"Wow, that's a big one." She said as she walked to him, kneeling as she looked, her ponytail slipping to down her right shoulder, tickling the side of her face. "You should save it for the tooth fairy."

"You believe in the tooth fairy?" Jamie asked, genuinely surprised. She didn't blame him but it still hurt that he asked.

She hesitated for a second but answered truthfully. "Yes, I do believe in the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, and Santa Claus. But there's one thing that I have that they don't have."

"What?"

"You!" Kailani exclaimed, grabbing Jamie and rubbing her face against his neck as he screamed with delight at being tickled. She giggled, feeling for the first time in a long time unaltered joy and fun. She let her socked feet slide around as she twirled them around. She felt her mid-thigh cotton short flap and her figure hugging tank top twirl at the edges before tossing him onto bed.

Sophie was clapping and laughing alongside them.

"All right now, tooth under your pillow?" Kailani asked as Jamie put away his toy and Sophie got off.

"Yeah,"

"Now, don't stay up so late or she won't come." Kailani said, picking up his toys and putting them away.

"But I can do it this time. You wanna help me Soph? We can hide and see the tooth fairy."

Sophie babbled excitedly as Kailani turned to see the window. She saw something flicker, like an image that was trying to turn on but was struggling against the dark. She frowned and the flicker cleared to let her see a white haired boy with his hoodie covering his head.

It was the same boy she ran into earlier. Was this some hallucination bought on by exhaustion? She didn't wait to answer as she raced to the window to open it. The boy's eyes widened in shock and confusion before he flickered out like a flame. She tossed the window open and leaned her body out, goosebumps breaking out in her arms as the wind bit her exposed her skin.

She looked down, stretching on her toes to see if the boy was there but saw nothing. Not even footprints. She twisted her head up, her hair falling down on her arms as she looked up towards the roof and searched but saw nothing.

"Hello?" She asked loudly, the wind whistling past the trees. "Is anyone there?"

She heard nothing.

"You have white hair, I think?" She said this more to herself than to her cute possible stalker. She shook her head and pulled her body back in. She was questioning her mind. She was cracking. That was the only explanation.

"I'm losing it. I'm losing it. There is no white haired boy outside the window looking in. I'm just tired and need a good night's rest. This is all my imagination." She said to herself, her hands gesturing in a forget it motion. But why was there a niggling doubt in her mind when she convinced herself that it was just her imagination?

What were the chances of seeing a white haired boy twice in the same day? And a cute one at that?

She shook her head and rubbed her temples, a headache starting to pound against her skull. She was tired, she told herself. She was tired and needed to sleep for a long time and wake up refreshed.

She shook her head again and closed the window, subconsciously knowing that there was something out here and that this was no mere hallucination.

"Alright. Time for bed." Kailani said as she picked up Sophie.

"I'm going to wait for the tooth fairy." Jamie exclaimed as he got into bed with his flashlight, eyes gleaming with happiness and excitement.

"I hope you meet her." Kailani said sincerely as she got ready to close the door.

"Goodnight, Kai," Jamie said happily.

"Goodnight." She said before closing the door and took Sophie to her room.

"And for you, Sophie. It's time for bed." Kailani said as she tossed Sophie in the air as she giggled.

"More! More! More!" She screamed in delight as they reached her room.

"It's bedtime now." Kailani murmured, kissing Sophie's cheek as she laid her on her big girl bed and tucked her in with her blue comforter.

"I love you." She murmured in the young child's yellow hair.

"Love you, too." She said as she drifted off slowly to sleep.

"Goodnight." Kailani murmured before turning on the fairy princess nightlight as she left the room, leaving it slightly open. She nearly jumped out of her skin, her heart thumping loudly from the fright when she saw her mother standing in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" Stupid really to ask that question. Her mother lived in the house, even if she wasn't in the house most of the time and if she was, Kailani didn't see her. It wasn't really rocket science to know that Kailani wasn't searching for her mother in the house.

"I came to tuck them in." Her mother said, avoiding her gaze.

"I already did that." Kailani said, clenching her fists behind her back resentfully.

"Why didn't you let me do it?"

Kailani sighed, her anger starting to boil under her skin like hot lava. Her mother would always blame Kailani for taking the kids away from her even if it wasn't her damn fault. But try telling her mother that.

"I told you three times today around dinner but you said nothing." Kailani said, leaning against the wall, feeling warm because of her anger and resentment. "We waited but you didn't come up nor did you make them their bedtime snack. So, as usual, I did what you were supposed to do."

"Well, you could've..."

"Could've _what?_" She said, finally exploding. "I _try_ to give you a chance but you always blow it. It's not my fault! Stop blaming me! It's not my fault. I'm not going to wait forever until you decide you're ready. I can't wait. They can't wait anymore either. We're done waiting. And you're out of time."

Kailani pushed off from the wall, seeing the tears in her mother's eyes and guilt pierced her heart before she yanked her gaze away. She shouldn't feel guitly. Her mother should be the one who should feel guilty. Her mother was the one who left them alone for three years. She was the one who lost her chance. She was the one who was trying to squeeze herself into their lives like a mismatched puzzle. Jamie, Sophie and Kailani had the perfect puzzle and her mother was squeezing herself in, cracking the perfect puzzle.

It was her mother's fault. Not hers.

"I'm going to bed." She called out angrily before slamming the door to her room. She rubbed her eye furiously before sitting at her desk and turning on her laptop.

She sighed, so angry at her mother for doing something for them all late. They didn't need her anymore. The past three years were proof of that. She placed her headphones in her and began to listen to Akcent Love Stoned.

She closed her eyes and laid her chin on her arms. She didn't know how long she listened to the song and all others from the same artist.

She thought about her father, the way he told her stories.

_"Now, the Toothfairy is a special woman who can fly all over the world in an entire day. She is a sweet lady who watches over children in their sleep and takes their teeth so she can save their childhood memories and watch them when she is feeling lonely. She has powers that can let fly all over the world and leave gifts under children's pillow for thanking them for their teeth." Her father had once told her as she sat on his lap, his leg bouncing her up and down as she giggled._

_"No one can do that. The world is biiiigggg!" She had yelled, making her arms go out wide as she fell back against her father, his scent of mint feathering up to her nose._

_Her dad chuckled and picked her up, tossing her in the air as she squealed with delight and joy._

_"Daddy!"_

_His green eyes twinkled with joy as he caught her and rubbed his unshaven beard against her neck, tickling and scratching her. She yelled as she pushed against his muscular chest as her father laughed as he pulled back._

_"Now, the Toothfairy can do that because people like you," He said as he carried her to the window, placing her on his hip and tapping her nose, making her giggle. "Believe in her and that gives her power to collect the teeth of all the young kids."_

_"And your teeth, too, daddy?" She asked, her arms hugging his shoulder._

_"No, my teeth are too old for her. But when I was a kid, she used to."_

_"You're old!" She exclaimed, feigning disgust. He let out a booming laugh that made her smile, showing off one empty space where her tooth used to be._

_"I'm not that old. Besides, your mother is really old." Her father said, kissing her cheek before lifting her up so she could place her head on his shoulder and wrap her little child legs around his chest as he held her._

_"I love you, daddy." She murmured, falling asleep on his shoulder, letting his security and love wrap around her like a blanket._

_"I love you, my beautiful princess. You'll always be my beautiful princess." He murmured as he reached around his neck and pulled off her arms before gently placing her on her bed, covering her as she snuggled into the pillow, already half asleep._

_"Daddy?"_

_"Yes, baby?" He said as he shut off her lamp._

_"Sing me the lullaby. The one mommy says you used to do when I was a baby." She murmured, looking up at him with eyes just like his._

_"Of course." He said as he got in bed and spooned her, pulling her against him as he started to sing._

_"Oh, the waves roll low and the waves roll high and so it goes. Under a bright blue endless sky. Waves try to measure the days that we treasure, wave hello and wave goodbye."_

She fell asleep on her chair, swimming on the edge of unconscious, elusive as a seductive siren, dreaming about her father, wondering about the white haired boy, letting silent tears fall down her cheeks unnoticed.


	5. Kailani 5

_Thump._

Kailani groaned and snuggled deeper into her arms but felt a sharp pain erupt at her back. Opening her eyes, she sat up and gasped at the aches and sores that fired all over her back and neck.

"Oh, god." She groaned, rubbing out the kinks in her neck and stretched her back, loving and hating the feel of stretching sore muscles.

"That is the last time I sleep in a chair listening to music." She said to herself, looking over at her laptop that had fallen asleep and her headphones dangling from the edge of the desk she had fallen asleep on.

_Thump._

Frowning, she turned around, wondering if she was hearing things now. She was about to say she was when she heard a rather loud bump.

_Thump. _Was someone running all over Jamie's room?

"Jamie! You better not be up!" She yelled as she got up from her chair and headed out of her room in her clad feet.

Was that grunting she heard?

She must be still half asleep. She thought she heard a crash and felt her anger spike. She picked up her pace and saw Jamie's door. "I thought I told you you weren't supposed to be up past your bedtime!"

She was about to say another reprimand but it stopped when she saw a fat guy in a red coat passed out on the ground, a huge bunny, a weird blue green bird thing and Jamie all knocked out.

"What in the world?" She closed her eyes and rubbed them furiously, trying to get the sleep out of them. Shaking her head, she opened her eyes and blinked rapidly.

She was glad that no one was there except Jamie, awkwardly sitting on the bed. She'd didn't really want to know what would've have happened if there were actual people in Jamie's room. It would _not_ be pretty.

She heard Jamie's door open more and turned to see a rather happy Sophie walking in.

"Hey, what are you doing up?" Kailani asked but Sophie seemed rather engrossed looking at the ground as if someone was actually there and she was giggling and looking around.

"Let's put Jamie back to bed, Sophie and then it will be your turn." Kailani said rather distractedly as she turned back to tuck Jamie in. He was rather heavy and she grunted with the effort.

"You're getting big. " She murmured as she soothed Jamie's hair away and pulled the covers up. She vaguely heard Sophie say pretty and heard a soft twinkling sound.

"Come on, Sophie." Kailani said as she still stared at Jamie, feeling a warm glow in the pit of her heart that was drowning in a sea of sorrow and confusion.

"Bunny! Hop! Hop! Hop! Ow!" It was the Ow! that snatched Kailani's attention from Jamie's like a fish on bait.

"Sophie!" She said but the next words got stuck on her throat as she saw a shimmering blue portal humming in the middle of the room. Kailani's green eyes widened in astonishment and confusion. She was frozen on the spot as she saw the portal.

It looked beautiful and called to her. It filled with her with something that she had no name for. For the first time in 3 years since her father's death, she felt something other than confusion and anger.

She felt..._happy._

Like a child.

Sophie giggled and headed to the portal. Kailani reeled back and shook her head to dislodge the daydream but this was no daydream.

This was real as the air she was breathing in.

Her instinct to protect Sophie from the unknown, no matter how beautiful the portal was or how it called to her like a mother would her child, snapped her to attention.

"Sophie! Get away!" She whispered harshly, trying to lure Sophie back to safety. But Sophie wasn't listening, she was giggling and entranced and kept walking towards the portal. She was a mere inch from the portal when she didn't stop and fear for her little sister kicked Kailani into gear.

"Sophie! No!" She yelled as she ran to yank Sophie away from the portal. She had her arms around Sophie's waist and was about to pull back but felt herself tripping forward into the portal.

She tried to regain her footing but fell in the portal and was falling down, down, down, into the abyss. She gasped at the feel and vaguely heard a whooshing sound from above her.

The air felt different and caressed her skin and the was rushing through exposed skin and hair, raising goosebumps and making her shiver.

She held Sophie in her arms tightly, tilting her body up so Sophie would be on top and Kailani would take the brunt of the impact. Sophie was giggling happily but Kailani felt terrified as she fell.

Would they live? Would they be missed? Who would take care of Jamie?

So many questions rushed through her mind like an avalanche but one question dominated all her other thoughts.

Where _were_ they?

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**Sorry it's so short. But this is the last chapter that will be short. All the other will be longer. Please review. Next update is on Monday. Things will begin to pick up speed now that this chapter is done. Until next time!**


	6. Jack 6

**I'm sorry about some misunderstanding about what North says when Bunnymund says buckle up... It was hard hearing the words but I tried to guess as close as possible but if you guys can tell me what is, I'll see if I can change it and again thanks for all of your reviews. Update is Monday.**

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Sandy was dead and it was all his fault. If he had only gotten to Sandy in time, if only he had moved faster...

No matter the if's, Sandy was gone and it was all Pitch's fault. Jack knew he released an extraordinarily amount of power out of despair and anger and was knocked clean out of the air until Tooth caught him.

He didn't know how he did it but he just did. Jack was sitting near the window with his hood up as he looked out the window. This wasn't fair. None of this was fair.

Jack touched the window, causing frost to grow into the shape of Sandy, as he heard North come near him.

"Are you alright?"

"It's just...I wish I could've _done_ something."

"Done something?" North said, interrupting Jack from his wishes. "Jack, you stood up to Pitch. You saved us."

Jack didn't feel like he saved anyone.

"But Sandy..."

"Would be _proud_ of what you did." North said sincerely and honestly and something in his voice made Jack's spirits lift up higher. Jack got up from the window, pulling away his hoodie before stuffing his hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt.

"I don't know who you were in your past life but in this life, you are Guardian." North said as he placed a hand on Jack's shoulder before removing his hand.

"How can I know who I am until I found out who I _was_?" Jack asked, wanting some kind of memory of who he was or why he was here or what he was meant to do.

"You will," North said. "I feel it in my belly."

Still feeling a little sad about Sandy but determined not to let his death be meaningless, Jack decided to head back to where the globe was.

Once out, he saw the yellow lights all around the globe rapidly diminishing. "Look how fast they're going out."

Jack flew up to the globe, watching all the blinking little lights go out so fast that it was filling him dread and horror.

"It's fear." Jack murmured with realization. "He's tipped the balance."

"Ey, buck up, ya sad sacks." Bunnymund said, trying to diffuse the situation. "We can still turn this around. Easter is tomorrow and I need your help. Let's say we pull out all the stockings and we get those little lights flickering again."

Everyone's spirits lifted up as North led them away.

"Bunny is right. As much as it pains me to say this, this time, Easter is more important than Christmas." North said as they walked past the working Yeti.

"Hey, did everyone hear that?"

"We must hurry to the warren. Everyone! To the sled!"

"Oh no, mate. My warren, my rules. Buckle up." Bunnymund said as he tapped the ground twice.

"He's lost his mind." North said before everyone fell down into the hole Bunnymund had just made. Everyone slid around the tunnel and Jack whooped as he slid around the tunnel. This was something Jack loved to do and he enjoyed every minute of it.

Finally, they all fell out, falling on top of another including the yeti and elves.

"Ahhaha. Buckle up. It's very funny." North said as he sat up.

"Welcome to the warren." Bunnymund said as he smiled but then quickly stood up and turned around, his nose and ears flickering for a sign of something that didn't belong.

More like two somethings.

"Something's up." Bunnymund said seriously as the little eggs came out of the tunnel in a hurry. Bunnymund immediately got into position for a fight with everyone following his stance. The walking egg-like rocks turned to frown at the tunnel.

Bunny yelled as he ran towards the tunnel with everyone else following him. But they immediately stopped when they saw a little blond haired, green-eyed girl in front of them carrying three little eggs.

_"Sophie?"_ Jack asked, confused that she was here. Sophie ran past them, laughing as she chased the little elves.

"Sophie!" Everyone turned back to the tunnel, even more confused.

Before anyone could react, they saw a slim, teenage girl running out of the tunnel, looking behind her as she called to Sophie. She turned and froze, looking at them and they at her.

Jack knew immediately who she was. The one girl he couldn't stop thinking about ever since she crashed into him and when she saw him through the window for a second before she lost sight of him.

He hadn't moved at the time, wondering if this was a joke, but when she had opened up the window and leaned out of the window, looking for_ him,_ calling out towards a white haired boy, he knew he wasn't imagining things.

She really did see him.

Kailani shook her head and rubbed her eyes before opening them again. But Jack knew she couldn't see them again.

Or him.

He felt something die in him as he saw her gaze turn into confusion.

"What are they doing here?!" Bunny asked dangerously to North.

"Oh, the snow globe." North said, checking his robe.

"Snow globe. Cripe, something do something!" Bunny yelled.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm-"

"Can you guys stop arguing?!" Kailani yelled before she gasped and covered her mouth. Everyone gasped, including Jack, stunned at what Kailani had just said.

"Oh, great. First I'm seeing things. Now, I'm hearing things. Sophie, don't drag the elf around." Kailani murmured, rubbing her temples.

Kailani pulled back as if she had gotten slapped. "No, she doesn't have the elf around. It's official. I'm losing my mind. First, I saw a white haired boy with a staff, next I saw a fat guy, a bunny, a freaking blue green bird thing in Jamie's room, then a freaking portal popped up in the room and Sophie had to go in there and I had to follow her, now we're stuck in who knows where and now I'm seeing the same people again except for a yeti thing, now I'm hearing things. I'm cracking." Kailani said, pacing as she rubbed her temples.

Jack was stunned. She was seeing and hearing them, but was having trouble doing so.

Jack felt his gaze travel her length from her sock-clad feet, to her tanned bare legs that were long and lean, to her upper body that hugged the curves that tempted someone to look, to her green eyes and full lips, and full cheekbones, to her honey brown hair that left Jack wondering how would it feel to run his hands through them...

Jerking back, Jack was stunned at the way his thoughts were going. He couldn't help it, though. He felt a pull towards her, a certain warmth that shot through him whenever he saw her and thought about her. Was he attracted to this human girl?

Possibly. But why? He saw a lot of human girls from his 300 years of living. Lots of them were mean and cruel while others were nice and quiet and were beautiful, more so than this girl. But there was just something about this girl that called to him.

"She can see us?" Jack asked, incredulous.

"Remarkable." North said and everyone turned to him.

"What? What is it?" Jack said, trying to hide his hope at the thought of her seeing him.

"She's a _Sighter."_

"A what?" Jack asked as he saw the recognition in everyone's eyes but his. "What's a Sighter?"

"It's when a human is stuck between the childhood and adulthood. They cling to his or her beliefs and refuses to let go. The harder they try to hang on, their Sight will allow them to see us. But it's only for a few seconds. It's not rare, but not common though. Mostly in girls than boys. Sighters aren't ready to grow up but are forced to ahead of time so they become Sighters, trying to cling onto the hopes and beliefs but the rope tying them to us is breaking so they can't see us like children do. That's why they are called Sighters, they can see us but for a few seconds before they lose sight." Tooth explained as Jack was trying to absorb this new information.

"The more time she spends here, however, it seems that her Sight gets stronger since she's hearing us more frequently based on the mumbling about hearing voices I hear coming from her mouth. I wonder how white_ her_ teeth are."

Kailani was a Sighter? She wanted to still believe in them?

"'What surprises me is that she can see _you,_ Jack." North said. "Not even Jamie could see you."

"Maybe she's the answer to what I was meant to do. I mean, think about it. No one has seen me for 300 years but suddenly, Kailani can see me? There must be a reason."

"You know her name? How long has this been happening?" North asked curiously as they turned back to Kailani.

She was just sitting on the ground with crossed legs, rubbing her temples and moaning as if she was exhausted.

"Twice. Three, just now." Jack said a bit sheepishly. But hope had bloomed in him. Someone could finally see him . And it didn't hurt that she was attractive.

"I don't care! We need to get them out of here!"

"Don't worry, Bunny. I got a little fairy friend. It's okay, little one." Tooth said happily distracting Sophie away from the elf.

"Pretty." Sophie said.

"Aw, you know what? I have something for you. Look at all the pretty teeth. With blood and gum on them."

"Waaa!" Sophie screamed and Jack saw how Kailani had snapped out of her reverie and jumped up as Sophie ran to her.

"Oh, Sophie, it's okay. I'm here. We'll get home. I know we will." Kailani murmured as she hugged Sophie to her.

Jack chuckled as he watched the two girls. "Blood and gum? When was the last time you guys actually hung out with a kid?" He asked as he flew to sit on top of the egg rock, getting nearer to Kailani and feeling that string tug between them.

Kailani had already distracted Sophie with the egg rock as she stood up and walked around, wide eyed and curious but confused.

"PEEK-A-BOO!" Sophie yelled, her voice echoing under the rock before running off again.

"We are busy bringing joy _to_ children." North explained. "We don't have time-"

Sophie laughed as she chased a butterfly and Kailani sighed, rubbing her temples. Something Jack began to notice that often did when she was confused and frustrated.

"_For_ children."

"Hmm," Jack murmured as he made a snowflake circle around his hand before letting it fly to Jack. "If one little kid can ruin Easter then, we're in a worse shape than I thought."

Jack got up and walked to Kailan, who was rubbing her temples with her eyes closed as she leaned against a rock. He didn't know why he wanted to be near her.

Perhaps it was the hope that she was the only one who can see him.

Perhaps she was related to Jamie and he liked Jamie.

Or perhaps he felt a connection towards her, as if a string tied them together tightly.

Or maybe, he was attracted to her._ Really_ attracted to her.

He may never know the reason why but wasn't going to linger on it. She was here and could see him, granted it was just flickers, but she could still see him.

The more she stayed here, the stronger her Sight got and it filled him with hope that she could begin to see them more frequently the longer she was here. And he wanted someone to see him.

That was all Jack ever wanted.


	7. Jack 7

She had fallen asleep throughout the whole commotion. Jack was surprised she didn't hear Sophie laugh with delight as Bunnymund and everyone else created Easter eggs.

Jack found himself gravitating towards her every chance he got and he was surprise he felt a little off when he wasn't near her.

He reasoned that he was just worried that she had traveled so far from home with Sophie and had an obvious problem with her mother based on the fights he noticed.

When Sophie had fallen asleep in Bunnymund's arms, both he and Bunnymund were near Kailani as she curled in on herself.

"Not bad." Jack mused.

"Not bad yourself."

"Hey, look. I'm sorry about the you know, the whole kangaroo thing."

"Haha, don't worry about it. Poor little thing. Look at that, all tuckered out." Bunnymund said as Tooth and North came to see Sophie sound asleep in his arms.

"I love her." Tooth said as she kneeled, smiling down at the sleeping child.

"It's time to take her home." Tooth said, cradling Sophie.

"And Kailani?" Jack asked. He actually didn't want them to leave yet. They were safe from Pitch here.

_"Jack..."_ They all turned to see Kailani murmuring in her sleep, shivering as she hunched in on herself. Jack frowned as he walked back to Kailani and kneeled, holding onto his staff.

Was she calling for him or another person named Jack? Jack didn't like the second option. His insides seemed to twist when he thought about her calling out for another guy.

He didn't like this feeling.

"Dad..." She murmured, almost fearfully and Jack began to get nervous. Was she having a nightmare?

How? Pitch wasn't here.

"No..."

"She's having a nightmare. Wake her up." North ordered as Kailani began to shake and hunch in closer to her body. Jack didn't think as he reached out to touch her but felt that disappointment seep in his body as his hand slipped through her arm like he was just air.

"We can't." Jack said through clenched teeth as he curled his hand into a fist, feeling helpless and invisible for the millionth time.

"Dad...no..." Kailani was moving her head side to side, almost as if she was searching for someone.

"She's having a nightmare." Tooth murmured as she clutched Sophie close to her.

"What are we supposed to do then? She's not supposed to have a nightmare in here unless Pitch is here or he's already touched her faith." Bunnymund said as he circled Kailani as she groaned fearfully in her sleep.

Jack was stunned. Pitch had touched her dreams already? How? Pitch was after children's faith and beliefs, not teens or adults.

"No, Jack...Jack...Frost..." Kailani began as she shook harder now and Jack was astonished that she wasn't calling out for another guy, she was calling out for him.

Someone was calling out for _him._

It gave him hope that furled in his chest like a flower in bloom. But that hope turned into fear, something he was not used to.

"No. Dad." Kailani yelled harder. No one knew what to do because they couldn't touch or shake her awake. She was a Sighter and they had trouble seeing and hearing the Guardians.

"Wake up!" Jack breathed out anxiously, frustrated that he couldn't help her and no one could do anything.

"No..."

"She can't hear you, Jack." Tooth said as she placed Sophie on the ground to hover next to him.

"She has to wake up on her own, mate." Bunnymund said, placing a paw on Jack's shoulder.

"Kailani, wake up! You have to wake up!" Jack said frantically but trying to cover it.

"Jack..." Only a fraction of the fear in her voice disappeared and Jack, had he not been paying close attention to her, noticed something else in her tone. Something warm.

"Wake up!" Jack said louder, hoping she could hear him, knowing the chances of that happening were rare. He gripped his staff tightly, wishing his hands were on her shoulders and were shaking her awake.

"Jack..."

"I think she can hear you," North said. "Keep calling out to her."

"Daddy." Kailani murmured and Jack flinched at the heartbreak and pain that slipped through her mouth and into the air as she called for her Daddy.

"Wake up, please." Jack begged now, something he usually never did.

"Dad, _DAD!_" Kailani eyes shot open and she sat up, visibly shaken and breathing hard with a light sheen of sweat peppering her skin.

Everyone had jumped out of the way, expecting her to see them any moment but Kailani eyes were filled with pain and terror and she shook out shaky breaths as she rubbed her face violently, as if she wanted wipe away the nightmare from her memory.

Jack felt a surge of protectiveness towards her as he saw her try, but fail, to control herself.

"Just a dream, just a dream." She murmured over and over again but Jack knew she was trying to convince herself but was failing.

"Sophie." She jerked her head up, her hair flying forwards before settling back past her shoulders since her ponytail had come undone in her struggle from the nightmare.

She stood up and swayed and Jack reacted instinctively by reaching out to hold her up but he slipped right through and he growled out in frustration.

"Sophie," Kailani said as if she found the world's greatest treasure as she kneeled and touched Sophie's hair before standing up.

"We're still here." Her voice cracked and Jack knew she was going to lose it. Everyone saw as she walked to the edge of the hill and sat down heavily, wrapping her arms around her raised knees.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't. I just can't."

"We should leave her alone for a bit." Tooth said as everyone looked back, expecting Jack to follow them but found him staring at her with a certain tenderness in his eyes.

"Jack..." Tooth began but North stopped her.

"Let him be." North said. "They need this."

Buunymund and Tooth frowned but didn't question North as they followed him, leaving the girl and Jack alone.

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**Thank you for all of your reviews! It means a lot to me... Tomorrow is the release of Rise of the Guardians. I'm buying the DVD as soon as stores open. Until next time please review.**


	8. Kailani 8

**Thank you for your reviews! So glad for all my followers, reviewers, and people who favorited this story. Thank you. Oh and a question? I'm thinking of making a second book to this where it concentrates on their relationship and their troubles. Should I make it a trilogy or just two books? Please let me know so I could get working on it. Again thank you and sorry for it being so short. I didn't work on it this weekend like I normally do but hopefully it's okay! Thank you and review please!**

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"I can't do this. I just can't." She murmured as she rocked gently back and forth. She couldn't keep doing this, anymore.

She was _so_ tired from the nightmares of losing her father and her beliefs. So tired from fighting with her mother. So tired of trying not to grow up and lose her connection with her father.

She was just so tired of it all. She wanted to give up. It would be _so_ easy to give up right now. So easy to sever that connection with her father like scissors cutting through rope. So easy that it was tempting her like a seductive siren's out of the fog's edge.

How easy would it be to just give up?

Easy. It would be so easy to forget about the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, The Sandman and Jack Frost. She believed that Jack Frost was her own father's making, about a boy who was a winter spirit who bought snow to the world and with it, joy.

It would be so, _so_ easy.

But giving in meant giving up. Giving up an intricate part of who she _is_. Giving up her memory of childhood. Giving up her father.

Giving up on herself.

She wanted to give up, _god_, did she want to but she just couldn't raise the scissor and cut the string that tied her with her father.

She

Just

_Couldn't._

But the harder she was clinging on, the faster it was breaking. The nightmares of losing her father or not being able to find him. The nightmares about a boy she could never completely see that always seemed to disappear and she would feel like her heart was being ripped apart when the boy left.

She was terrified and she was desperate to find her father and the boy. They meant so much to her and she had to find them but was always stuck in a dark place and no matter how many times she begged, yelled, or cried, they got farther away from her.

"Dad, I can't keep holding on anymore." She murmured again, her heart constricting inside her chest.

"I'm just so tired. I keep seeing and hearing things. I keep fighting with mom for what she did. I'm in god-knows-where and I don't know how to get home. The longer I'm here, the more I hear and see things. Dad, I don't know what to do anymore. I want to believe in the Tooth Fairy and everyone else but it's just _so_ hard. It's so hard and I'm so tired. I need help. I need someone to tell me that everything will be alright. But you're gone, Dad. You're gone and I miss you so much. Jamie and Sophie don't even _remember_ you anymore. Mom doesn't talk about you. She's erased you from home. I'm the only one still left and I can't even remember how you smell or look like anymore. All I have left is your beliefs and faith that you passed on to all of us. But I'm losing, Dad. I'm losing and I'm trying to hold on so badly that they keep slipping through my fingers like water. Oh, Dad. Why did you have to die and leave us alone? _Why?_ I want you here and tell me everything's going to be okay but you're not. _You're not._ You're gone and I can't keep holding onto you. But I can't find it in myself to do it. Dad, I miss you. I miss you." Kailani had tears running down her cheeks as it dripped on her skin like small drops of puddles.

Her throat was thick with emotion and she couldn't speak anymore. Her heart was constricting painfully with grief and anger and pain of everything. It felt like it was suffocating her and she was trying to breathe underwater but couldn't.

It was too much. Too overwhelming for one person to shoulder. It was too much and she broke down. Her body shook with chills and violent tremors as she let out choked sobs that burned her lungs as she tried to breathe.

She clutched her legs so hard until they were numb from the lack of blood. Her face were wet with fat tears that slid down effortlessly and fell onto her arms and legs. She was drowning in her sobs and pain and grief. She rocked back and forth as she tried to shake off the tremors that shook her body but it wasn't working.

It was making it worse.

She didn't know how long she cried. She didn't know long until her body heaved with the aftershocks of crying. She didn't know how long until she finally managed to control her breathing. All she knew was that she let go of her legs and felt the blood rush into them violently as she gritted her teeth in pain.

She felt better after crying, though. She felt lighter but so exhausted from what her crying put her body through. She wanted to sleep a deep dreamless sleep. She wanted to escape reality. She wanted to sleep.

Her eyes began to droop with exhaustion no matter how hard she tried to hold onto consciousness. But she was fighting a losing battle, all the emotions she faced the past hour and years took its toll on her and she fell to her side, her body shutting down to go to sleep.

Her eyes began to slip close as her body readied for sleep.

She thought she saw a white-haired boy with worried look on his pale face and scared blue eyes but wondered as she fell into an exhausted sleep if she was seeing things again.


	9. Jack 9

**The reason this is being update today is because tomorrow I will not be anywhere near internet until tuesday so I decided to update today. Thank you. Please review thank you!**

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"It's time to take them home." Tooth said as everyone came back. Jack turned to see her picking up Sophie.

Jack felt oddly off after seeing Kailani break down, letting out her bent up emotions that had burst open like a dam. He wanted to comfort her and tell her everything would be okay, that she didn't have to give up but as usual she didn't see or hear him.

Jack had felt a longing to hold her in his arms and murmur comforting words just so she could stop crying. He wanted to take away her pain and sadness and toss it away like garbage. He wanted to do so many things to help her but nothing he did worked.

For the millionth time, he wanted answers from the man of the moon. He wanted answers to his questions. He wanted to know why he was here, why she was one of the Sighted, why she could see see him sometime and not anyone else.

He wanted answers and was frustrated that the man of the moon wasn't giving him any.

He watched her as she cried, staying with her, knowing she couldn't hear him but feeling at least something helpful that she wasn't alone even if she didn't know.

He watched her as she slept deeply. He knew she was exhausted from the crying, the journey and so much more. He learned of her fears and worries and he panicked at the thought that she wanted to give up her beliefs so she could stop feeling so tired but found that she couldn't.

She didn't want to let go of her memories and Jack understood what she meant and didn't resent her for wanting to give up. She seemed like a tough girl who would have trouble giving up. He concluded that it would take a lot for her to give up.

He didn't want her to give up because if she did, she would lose her Sight completely and never get to know him and he found that he wanted her to get to know him. He wanted to get to know her. He wanted to know her favorite things, favorite food, her personality, her traits, her habits. He wanted to get to know her and he wanted her to get to know him, too.

It almost felt like a need. A need for Jack to get to know her, to be a part of her life. To be something in her life, to have an importance in her heart.

He wanted this. He didn't want to part from her just yet.

"How about I take them home?" Jack asked, trying to be casual

"Jack, no. Pitch is-" Tooth said worriedly. Jack didn't want anyone worrying about him.

"No match for this." Jack said, gesturing to his staff.

"Which is _why_ we need you here." Bunnymund said

"Trust me, I'll be quick as a bunny." Jack said. He wanted to take them home. He needed to. He didn't know why but he just did.

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It took a few tries to touch Kailani but Jack finally had been able to touch her and cradle her to his chest as Tooth placed Sophie on Kailani's arms.

Kailani had instinctively tightened her hold on Sophie and Jack felt something warm him from the inside out.

"Are you sure about this?" Tooth asked as she hovered near Jack.

"Sure, they're not even that heavy." Jack said as he flew off towards their home. He found that he actually liked holding Kailani to him. He was receiving warm tingles wherever her body touched his and liked the feeling and didn't want it to stop.

He kept glancing at her, hoping that she didn't slip through him and fall to her death. He didn't like that thought so he held her tighter to his body, as if to reassure himself that she was still in his arms.

Halfway home, she had snuggled in Jack's chest, murmuring, "so warm," That act did something to his heart. Something that made it swell and squeeze almost like an ache. An ache that Jack enjoyed and wanted more of.

He held them tightly to his chest as they reached her home. He flew into Sophie's room and carefully place them on her bed. He took Sophie out of Kailani's arms and gently placed Sophie on her bed, tossing a blanket and stuffed toy near her before slipping his arms underneath Kailani to take her to her room.

Jack could've left her in Sophie's room but he found that he already missed having her in his arms. He liked how her hair swept down his arms, jolting something deep inside him alive. He liked seeing her dream soundly, her chest breathing in a slow, deep rhythm.

He carried her to her room and placed his knees on her bed and gently placed her down, hovering above her as he adjusted her body to fit onto the bed comfortably. He nearly fell on top of her but quickly regained his balance.

She groaned softly and turned to her side as she snuggled deeper into her pillow and Jack's heart warmed again. He was reluctant to leave but knew he had to. But something was keeping him here.

Perhaps it was the way she looked young in her sleep.

Perhaps it was the way she murmured so softly in her sleep and snuggled into the pillow.

Perhaps it was the way she had cried earlier and had fallen dead into sleep.

Or maybe Jack liked her. He was attracted to her, he couldn't deny that but _why_ was he attracted to her? He didn't know why he was thinking about her and wondering why he wanted to be a part of her life and be important to her.

He did know that he was leaning down to place a kiss on her smooth forehead. He didn't know why he did but that he just had to to kiss her before he left. He wanted to know how it felt like to touch that smooth forehead with his lips. How it would feel to him.

Gently, like a falling snowflake, he placed his lips tenderly on her forehead, smelling her scent which smelled like warmth and love, like budding flowers. He closed his eyes, enjoying the tingles that were flying from his mouth and into his body.

He liked this, _no_, he _loved_ this feeling. This feeling of being alive for the first time in forever. And he didn't want to stop.

But he pulled away, with some reluctance he noted, and stood up.

He was expecting her to be asleep. What he didn't expect was a fist slamming into his jaw and his arm being twisted behind his back painfully, with her saying, "Who the_ hell_ are you and what are you doing in my_ room?_"


	10. Kailani 10

She was having a dreamless sleep when she felt a pair of warm lips touch her forehead. She thought she was dreaming at first, because when the lips had touched her forehead, she felt a certain warmth erupt from her forehead and rushing inside her body to fill her up to her toes.

She relished the feeling and didn't want the lips to leave. But they did and her body yearned the loss of the lips that had touched her forehead so intimately.

She had opened her eyes to protest the loss but the words froze in her throat when she saw a boy hovering over her. She thought a burglar had gotten into the house and panicked.

Jamie and Sophie.

She had to protect them.

The burglar rose, and with his rise carrying a warmth that filled her bones so deliciously, she acted. Without thinking, she made her hand into a fist and punched the burglar in his jaw, relishing the feel of his groan as his head reeled back but feeling a slight squeeze in her heart at his pain.

She didn't let him react. Time was everything now. Jumping up from her bed, she yanked the burglar's arm and twisted it behind his back while placing her hand on the back of his shoulder, ignoring his grunt of pain and tingle that seemed to leave his body and into her hands and down her arms and into her body.

She said menacingly, "Who the _hell_ are you and what are you doing in my room?"

"Ow," He said and she felt a tickle of familiarity touch her mind before she banished it away. She pulled him back and slammed him harder into the wall, earning another louder "Ow!"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the cops or break your arm off right this second," She hissed, pressing her body into his back, not expecting her body to react differently. She expected her body to be on full alert but instead, it was softening with a yearning she found almost impossible to understand.

She heard an angry chirping noise before she felt a sharp, painful sting on her arm.

"Ow!" She let go of the burglar instinctively as she tried to swat the chirping thing away. "What the hell?

She kept waving her hands around, trying to fend off the human stinger as it kept jabbing her arms and shoulder.

"Tooth, don't!"

Kailani tripped over something on the ground, probably her slipper, and went tumbling down to the hardwood floor, her bottom shaking with tremors of pain.

"Ow. ow, ow!" She howled as she gritted her teeth, trying not to scream so loud but it hurt.

"'Are you okay?" She heard him ask.

"Am I okay? Do I _look_ okay?" She whipped her head towards the burglar and her words of anger stopped in her throat like a lodged rock.

She knew who he was. Or of him. Or whatever. She suddenly felt very under dressed and shy as she gazed upon the guy with the white hair and blue eyes and brown staff.

"It's you," She breathed quietly, forgetting her pain momentarily.

"You can see me?" He asked, seemingly anxious but with something akin to hope.

She couldn't speak but she did nod.

"I knew it. I knew you'd be able to see me sooner or later."

She frowned with realization as to what this meant. She was hallucinating again.

"You're not real." She murmured and those words seemed to slice into the boy and she immediately felt remorse for what she said but didn't understand why.

He wasn't real. Just a figment of her imagination.

"I've done it. I've finally lost it. I've cracked." She touched her temples as she rocked back and forth, the pain igniting like fire in her bottom.

"You're not real. You're a hallucination. You're just a figment of my imagination."

"No, I'm real. I'm really real." She shook her head in disbelief. He couldn't be real. It would mean she truly had lost her mind.

"Hey, you can see me. If I wasn't real, could I do this?" Before she could react, he had grabbed her upper arms almost desperately and shook her gently. He seemed to suck in a gasp of surprise and relief as she felt her arms erupt in heat from his touch and fly all over her body.

She stopped rocking back and forth and looked up at him, nearly gasping at him. He was beyond handsome. He seemed to have a physique that every boy on the planet would envy if they saw him. His teeth were so white that they looked like freshly fallen snow. His white hair seemed to glitter like ice and his pale skin seemed to camouflage him as if he were a part of the snow.

She frowned, a memory slipping into her mind as she stared at his blue eyes that reminded her of joy and fun.

_"I saw Jack Frost, you know." Her father had said once during dinner when her mother and brother were out shopping with a newborn Sophie._

_"Who's Jack Frost?" She had asked, frowning in disbelief._

_"Jack Frost is the winter spirit. He's in charge of bringing joy and fun to children all over the world. He has white hair, pale skin, blue eyes, has a staff, wears a blue hoodie and he's barefoot."_

_"Daddy..." She sighed, believing him but not letting him know that._

_"Don't believe me? Who do you think brings snow days and gets school cancelled and you munchkins go play in the snow all day? It's all him."_

_Her eyes widened as she stopped pretending. "Really?"_

_Her father nodded and opened his arms and she ran into them as he placed her on his lap. "Believe it and I know you'll see him too. You just have to believe in him."_

_"Does everyone believe in him?"_

_"No, but people will. I know they will. Starting with you." He flicked her nose and she giggled, saying the name Jack Frost over and over again until it became as familiar as the air she breathed._

She blinked rapidly, pulling slightly back to clear the memory. Was this boy Jack Frost? Could it be him?

"I'm Jack. Jack-"

"Frost." They said in unison with her voice holding a note of reverence.

His eyes widened in disbelief but hope and she felt a flutter of warmth taking off in her stomach and into her body. "You-you know who I am?"

"I think so. My father told me about you." She murmured, for the first time, feeling the ache of loss from her father but not as painful as before.

He smiled and pulled back, talking to a flying hummingbird thing. "She sees me. And knows who I am! I can't believe this! I mean, I can but still."

She smiled at his obvious joy and found herself oddly content to see him like this. She couldn't help but look at him as he seemed almost ecstatic with joy as he bounced around her room. She felt something like butterflies flutter in her stomach and her arms seemed to tingle at the memory of his hands around her arms and his blue eyes staring into her green ones.

Her face felt hot as she averted her gaze away from him. Was she blushing? Over a guy? And not just any guy, but the guy who was Jack Frost?

She touched her cheeks to feel them burning and felt her heart give stuttering beats.

She turned to look at him again and saw him staring at her, which caused her to blush again. What was _wrong_ with her?

"Tell me everything."

She frowned, taken back by his request.

"About?" She asked tentatively as she got up and sat down on her bed. Her legs had turned into jell-o and she needed to sit.

"About you, about your life and I'll tell you about mine." Jack said as he flew to her side and sat down, the bed dipping down with his weight.

She felt her face getting hot at the close proximity and averted her gaze, finding the edge of the cover very interesting. "Okay, I guess?" Her answer was phrased more like a question than an answer.

He turned around fully, giving her his full attention with those blue eyes that she wanted to drown in. She closed her eyes and shook her head but felt determination grow in her heart and mind.

"Okay, but it's pretty long and-"

"It's okay."

"I'm Kailani." She said since he didn't ask for her name, seemingly overjoyed at the prospect that she could see him.

"Kailani." And the way he said her name, made her heart race and skin tingle and her stomach fill up with butterflies and she both felt weird but wonderful with this new feeling.

She liked it.

* * *

Her eyes were drooping as she fought exhaustion and sleep. She didn't want to go to sleep. She didn't want to miss one second of Jack's presence. She had memorized his face like her own and knew so much about him.

About how he became a guardian and such. She knew him better than she knew herself. She felt like she knew him for her entire life rather than a few hours.

Hours that seemed to fly. She kept stifling a yawn as Jack continued to talk but knew she couldn't hold out for long but she was damn sure going to try.

"Maybe we should get going."

Her eyes flew open as her heart stopped in panic. She didn't want him to leave. She didn't want him to go at all. She wanted him here with her as they got to know each other. She liked him. Really liked him and felt a gaping hole of loss at the thought that he was leaving.

Jack frowned as if debating before shaking his head and standing up, the motion of his arm brushing her shoulder as the skin erupted in flames and electricity.

"I have to go. The others are expecting me." Jack murmured, sounding almost disappointed as she felt.

"Okay," She murmured softly, feeling everything inside her go dead as Jack got ready to leave. She didn't want him to go. At all.

"Maybe I can come back again." Jack said as he turned back to her expectantly. She frowned as she saw him begin to go blurry and flicker.

"Sure. I'd like that." She said, a small warmth spreading out towards her body.

He smiled and the action caused her heart to race and her skin flush. He turned and opened the window gently as he got even more faded the harder she looked at him.

Was she falling asleep? She kept yawning.

"Bye Jack." She said, feeling the sting of disappointment hit her body.

"Bye Lani, I'll see you again." He said and she felt her body warm as his voice wrapped around her name. She had already fallen to her side and was falling asleep, smiling as he disappeared completely before her eyes.


	11. Jack 11

Heading out of Kailani's room, feeling a surge of warmth fill his body, Jack heard someone call out to him from somewhere far off.

_"Jack? Jack?"_

"That- that voice. I _know_ that voice." He murmured, feeling a sense of familiarity fill his bones as the sound of the girl's voice.

_"Jack?"_ Jack flies off the roof as wind carries him towards the voice with Baby Tooth following him. Almost like being tethered to that voice, Jack follows where he heard the voice until he reaches the lake.

_"Jack?!"_ The voice calls out to him and he rushes towards the sound of the voice, a sense of urgency and familiarity rushing through his veins, propelling him forward almost desperately.

_"Jack?"_ Landing near the lake, he glides quickly, the voice sounding closer now but with a tinge of worry underlying the tone.

Jack freezes as he sees a bed made of wood that looks old and wrecked. It looks familiar and yet it confuses him as to why there is a bed in the middle of the forest where the lake was. Baby tooth yanks at his hoodie to bring him back but there is something pulling Jack towards the bed.

Was it curiosity?

Was it hope?

Was it the voice?

Or something more.

"Don't worry. There's still time." Jack murmurs distractedly as he continues to walk towards the bed, knowing for some reason that he would find an answer in here or at least know where the voice was coming from. He walks slowly and sees the cracked wood leading down to a dark tunnel underneath the bed.

It was dark in there.

Almost pitch black.

Jack knew he should've been wary about this but there was just something about this whole situation that was calling to him, practically tugging him towards the hole underneath the bed.

He knew something was down there. Maybe the person who was calling him. That voice that sent a jolt of familiarity down into his soul. Into his being.

He used his staff to break off the loose wooden boards, breaking them off so the hole would get bigger. The boards fell down into the tunnel until it fell with a reverberating thud sounding from the bottom of the tunnel.

_"Jack?"_ He heard the voice again and he knew that someone was down there, calling for him because there was this tug again, this pull of familiarity that Jack just couldn't ignore.

He needed to know what was down there. Jack vaguely heard Baby Tooth squealing out warnings but he couldn't ignore the voice or any of this. He needed to know.

Jack jumped in as Baby Tooth followed him.

For a moment, everything was pitch black as he landed on the ground but he saw a small hole spilling out light.

Baby Tooth yanked on him and Jack impatiently shook her off. "Baby Tooth! Come on! I have to find out what that is!"

He_ needed_ to.

He entered the hole, Wind helping him jump onto the tops of certain structures. He was close, he could feel it. But when he looked up, the need to find out what was going on changed into confusion and despair.

He saw cages with Toothania's helpers in them, squealing with fear and confusion. Ignoring the voice that he had heard, Jack flew up to the cages to see if he could free them and how Toothania's helpers were doing.

"Shh, keep it down!I'm going to get you just as soon as-"

_"Jack?"_

He froze, hearing the familiar voice again and it was so close. That voice was here, with him and he needed to know where it was coming from. Hanging from one of the cages, he twisted his body to see where the voice was coming from and saw hills of gold.

_"Jack?"_

"As I can..." He murmured at last

He jumped down onto the hills and noticed it wasn't gold but the teeth of all the children. Hope and desperation bloomed in Jack's chest, filling him with a determination that bore no likeliness to any other.

He dug through the cases of teeth, hoping to find his teeth. His memories. His everything that would finally make sense to him in this world. He wanted everything to make sense.

_Why_ had the Man of the Moon chose him?

_Why_ didn't he remember his memories like the others?

_Why_ was he attracted to Kailani?

_Why_ could she catch glimpses of him and how they had touched and talked just earlier today?

_What_ was that voice that kept calling to him?

He wanted to know.

And the answer was in his memories. Memories that were deeply hidden in these hills of teeth cases of the children.

He tossed each case away carelessly, looking for the one that was his. He heard Baby Tooth and all the others squealing at him in worry but he was vaguely aware of them. He was on a mission.

But something stopped his search. He felt a certain darkness near and knew who it was,

"Looking for something?"

Jack didn't hesitate to grab his staff and shoot a blast of ice at Pitch and attack him. Jack chased his mocking laughter as he rushed up the swirling staircase that he had no idea how it got there. He wanted to attack Pitch and avenge the death of Sandman.

He wanted to destroy Pitch for what he was doing to all the children of the world. Causing fear and disbelief to grow in their hearts.

He wanted to hurt Pitch for what he was doing Kailani. He knew Pitch was giving her nightmares and it pained Jack to know he couldn't do anything to stop Kailani's nightmare. But he could stop the person in charge and save Kailani's belief and all the other children.

Jack searched for Pitch but all he heard was his mocking laughter that angered Jack.

"Don't be afraid, Jack.I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Afraid?" Jack asked almost cockily as he pointed his staff at Pitch who was standing away from him. "I'm not afraid of you."

Jack walked towards Pitch menacingly, wanting to hurt him for causing pain to Kailani and all the other children, but mostly Kailani.

He didn't want the thought that Pitch was touching her dreams and belief with his dark fingers of pain and fear. He didn't like it at all.

"Maybe not. But you are afraid of something." Pitch said. Jack didn't like the sound of confidence in his voice.

He didn't like it at all.

"You think so, huh?" Jack said as he continued to walk to Pitch with his staff pointed at him like a weapon, ready to blast him away at the smallest hint of a fight.

"I_ know_ so. It's one thing I _always_ know. People's greatest fears._ Your_ fear is that no one will ever believe in you."

Jack froze and Pitch laughed and suddenly Jack was falling. He hit the ground painfully as he fought to stand up, gasping.

He heard Pitch's voice but couldn't see him. "And worst of all, you're afraid you'll never know why. _Why_ you? Why were _you_ chosen to be like this?"

Jack knew Pitch was messing with him but the fear had come back now. The hopelessness and confusion that had plagued Jack's mind were coming full force as Pitch came to him.

He couldn't move.

"Well, fear not. For the answer to that is _right_ here."

Jack knew he shouldn't believe anything Pitch said but it was too tempting to not reach for the teeth case that had his memories on it. That had his hope in them.

He knew he shouldn't believe in Pitch for anything but how could he not when it was right there? His for the taking.

"Do you want them, Jack?" Pitch asked almost jokingly, making fun of him. "Your memories?"

Yes, he did. He wanted them. Without realizing it, Jack reached for them, ready to take them until a flash of Kailani's face burned in his mind. He snatched his hand away as if it burned.

Pitch disappeared with the case and Jack felt a pit of hopelessness grow in the pit of his stomach. Jack heard his mocking laugh and it pushed him to look for him.

He was not going to be made a fool.

"Everything you wanted to know, in this little box." Jack raced as Pitch's shadow ran ahead. "Why did you end up like this? Unseen. Unable to reach out to anyone. You want the answers so badly. You want to _grab_ them and fly off with them. But you're afraid of what the Guardians will think. You're afraid of disappointing them.

Pitch was playing him but he couldn't stop the need to know banging at his head. Pitch was talking, his shadow circling Jack like a vulture would his prey.

"Well, let me ease your mind about one thing. They'll _never_ accept you. Not really."

Jack grabbed his head in frustration and anger. "Stop it!"

He couldn't believe in this. Pitch was playing at his fears and insecurities. Jack knew this but couldn't stop them from attacking his shield. Jack knew all of this.

But he couldn't stop.

He tried to think of Kailani. She believed in him. But doubt crept in. Did she really believe in him? Did she think he was a dream or hallucination like the other times?

Jack knew in his heart that Kailani believed in him but the longer Pitch mocked him, the more he didn't believe in Kailani.

_"Stop it!"_ He yelled to stop the voice of disbelief ringing through his mind and heart. He didn't want this.

"After all, you're not one of _them._"

"You don't know what I_ am!_" Jack threatened angrily at Pitch, Kailani's face coming into his mind before it morphed into a dark cloud of uncertainty.

"Of course I do. You're Jack Frost. You make a mess everywhere you go. Why you're doing it right now." Pitch tossed Jack's case of tooth towards him and Jack caught it, uncertainty and disbelief warring in his heart.

Dread began to grow in Jack as he tried to understand what Pitch was saying as he held his memories in his hand.

"What did you do?" Jack asked, almost afraid to know what was going on.

"More to the point, Jack. What did _you_ do?" Pitch said mockingly as he disappeared into the shadow and Jack lunged for him, using his staff to attack him but Pitch was gone.

He turned around but found himself stuck at a dead end, a wooden circular door blocking him as he pushed at it. He realized that he was locked out and Baby Tooth was locked in with all the others.

"Baby Tooth!" He called frantically as he turned around.

_"Happy Easter, Jack."_ Pitch's voice circled around him as Jack saw the ground littered with broken Easter eggs and the sight filled him with dread.

_"No." _He said before he flew off, hoping that he wasn't too late.


	12. Kailani 12

She felt tired and hopeless. Everything was falling apart. Reality and fantasy was blurring together and she couldn't tell the difference anymore.

She had taken Sophie and Jamie to the Easter Egg Hunt but no one had found an egg. Not one _measly_ Easter egg and she saw the hopelessness leave the children's eyes as they looked around for an egg but found none.

"There's nothing." One kid said as other kids wondered what was going on. Kailani would have tried to cheer them up but didn't have the heart to do it.

She was giving up again. She had dreamed about the white haired boy with blue eyes that shook her to the core. The guy, Jack, had promised to see her but he didn't come for days and she felt the hopelessness leave her heart and soul.

She couldn't keep doing this to herself.

"I can't believe it. There's no such thing as the Easter Bunny."

Kailani felt the words slice her heart but did not fight the inevitable. Perhaps it was better for children to give up on fantasies. It was time for them grow up.

It was time for_ her_ to grow up but she wasn't ready. Not yet. That small flicker of hope was dimming with each doubt that crept in her hear like a slithering snake. It wouldn't be there forever.

Kailani felt a tear slide down her cheek as she heard the disbelief in the children's voice. She hated to see their pain and hopelessness seep into their eyes. She hated to see them sever their childhood fantasies but she felt that this was better.

Instead of being betrayed by people they trust, they probably should just give up and learn the truth. Learn that childhood was nothing more than play and reality was a harsh, cruel world that ripped the innocence right out of you, leaving you scarred and bleeding in the inside.

Kailani took Sophie and Jamie back home since Jamie insisted that there were eggs hidden around the house. She didn't have the heart to say that there was no eggs around the house. That there was no Easter Bunny planting eggs all over the world.

He wasn't real.

And it hurt that she was giving them up, giving her _father_ up but it was time.

It was time that Jamie figured out on his own that none of the fantasies he believed in as a kid was not real. She wouldn't rip the innocence out of him like that. She would let him do it himself. She wasn't that cruel. She would never be that cruel like her mother.

She wouldn't disappoint Jamie like her mother did her. When Jamie figured out the truth of everything, Kailani would be there for him and tell him that it was okay, that she would be there.

He was growing up and it was time that she did it herself. She sent Sophie inside as she set up the ladder for Jamie so he could find the eggs. She didn't have the heart to say that there was no eggs up there and that he was wasting his time.

Let him find it out by himself.

"Whoa!" Jamie yelled as the ladder fell out from underneath him and he fell. Kailani and the other kids winced as a purple ball bounced from the porch and onto the ground.

"Let's check the park again."

"For what?"

_Stop, Jamie._ Kailani had wanted to say to him but she bit her tongue. She would give him this small mercy. She would give him the chance to grow up and find out the truth in a different way than she had in her young life.

Kailani didn't hear the kids mumble until Jamie bounced back to them, trying his best to cheer them up and her heart bled with his unwavering hope.

"The Easter Bunny?"

"Guys! I saw him! He's way bigger than I thought. And he carries around this boomerang thing-"

"Come on, man."

"Seriously?"

Normally, Kailani would've defended Jamie's belief but she wa_s so_ tired. She felt the hopelessness surrounding the children before she felt it seep into her heart, causing the glow of her flickering hope dim even harder, almost invisible.

She didn't want to be here anymore, it was too depressing and she knew that Jamie was starting to see it and the disappointment in his eyes made her heart shrink with pain.

"What's happened to you guys?"

"It was a dream. You should be happy you still get dreams like that. That you're not getting..."

"Nightmares." The girl called cupcake said.

Kailani closed her eyes at the depressing scene in front of her. She knew what these kids were feeling. The way the nightmares sapped at their strength and left them tired and hopeless. She knew the fear they felt when they went to bed, terrified to go to sleep because the nightmares were right there, waiting to snap at their dimming hope.

She knew because she was suffering alongside them.

"Forget it, Jamie."

"He really is real." Jamie yelled defiantly but Kailani could feel the underlying confusion in his tone. She hated herself for letting Jamie do this on his own but he had to know that it was time to grow up.

That he was the only one clinging to his childhood.

"I know he is," He murmured but she heard the crack in hope and she felt her heart thud painfully at this. She didn't want him to lose his hope but there was just too much hurt waiting for him if he didn't grow up.

Too much hurt that she was feeling.

She wished that the white haired boy was back. She wanted the feeling of hope and joy that seeped from his body and fell into her like waves. She wanted the warmth and tingle that he seemed to give to her whenever they touched. She wanted him to look at her with those captivating blue eyes that seemed to snare her in like a trap.

A trap she was unwilling to leave.

Because she wanted _him._

But he wasn't real. He was fake. He was just a dream. A dream that was fading like a cloud. And she didn't try to cling onto him.

Because it was too much work.

Too much pain.

Too much time.

And she _had_ to grow up.

"You believe me? Right, Kai?" Jamie asked as he looked at her with those brown eyes filled with hope. She wanted to say so many things.

That he had to give up.

That no one believed him anymore.

But how could she when doing so would kill her?

She couldn't lie but she had to tell the truth too.

"I believe that you know what you were talking about." She turned her head, the disappointment in his eyes cutting into her skin like frozen ice.

She _hated_ herself for doing this.

She_ hated_ herself for giving up.

She_ hated_ herself for doing this to sweet Jamie.

She _hated _herself for being so weak.

She went in, tears streaming down her cheeks, her heart heavy with regret and longing as she headed into her room, her hope flickering like a flame caught in a snow storm.

She was running out of time.

And so was Jack.


	13. Jack 13

Everything was falling apart and nothing he did was good enough. Not for him. Not for the guardians. Not even for the man of the moon.

No one understood him. No one except Kailani.

He wanted to see her suddenly. She could see him and they talked and he knew that she would understand where he was coming from. That what happened to the easter eggs were not his fault. It hadn't been that long since he last seen her and he was surprised to see that he missed her.

_A lot._

More than he thought was normal. He had to see her. He needed to see her. It was a need that had to be satisfied or he was going to combust. He hadn't realized what he was doing until he was near the street that Jamie lived. Without his mind knowing it, his body had already led him to the one person he knew could see him. To the one person who awoken feelings inside him that left him confused yet strangely invigorating.

He rushed to her window, hoping with all his heart that she was there, hopefully waiting for something. His heart had raced in anticaption and his nerves had gone haywire, something that confused.

Was it the prospect of seeing Kailani that made him feel like this? He knew that he liked her. _A lot_. More than he thought was normal but he couldn't help it. She made him feel alive in a way that he hadn't feel in 300 years. She calmed the frustrations and worries in his mind while she was in his presence. She lit up the world like a beacon. She calmed him and what was wonderful was that she could see him.

Granted, it was only glimpses but the hours he spent in her room, getting to know her and vice versa made him feel alive. And he loved the feeling. He knew her favorite color was ice green, her favorite food was orange chicken, something he didn't know what it was until she had told him. Her favorite type of music was pop and Romanian. She loved to sing and daydream. She hated mice and spiders. She liked to keep a clean home.

He knew so much about her and he felt like he knew her for years instead of days. And he wanted to know more. He wanted to know every single thing, right down to the deepest and darkest part of her soul. He wanted to know what pissed her off, what made her happy, what made her cry, what made her blush.

He wanted to know everything and wanted to be the person that got to do those things. He wanted to comfort her when she was mad, calm her down when she was upset, lift her spirits when she was down. He wanted her in his life and he didn't want to let her go.

Not _ever._

He reached her window and saw her lying on the bed in her cotton shorts and tank top, her hair fanning out behind her like waves on an ocean. Jack felt himself warm at seeing her like this, so vulnerable yet so strong, her skin tanned and slightly flushed. He was excited at the thought of holding her in his arms. He liked touching her. He felt a tingle when he had grabbed her upper arms when she had fallen.

He enjoyed the feeling and didn't want to let go then but now...

He stepped in, giddy with emotion at the thought that she could see him and they would talk and she would comfort him and say that everything was okay. He didn't know how much he needed to hear those words from her pink lips until he saw her.

"Kailani?" He murmured as he stepped in, feeling the tug yank at him as he saw her. He knew she would have to wait a few seconds for her Sight to connect and let her see him.

But it was taking too long. She would normally being able to catch a glimpse of him but she seemed to not have heard him. Frowning, he placed a hand on her shoulder and felt his heart stutter with horror. His hand had slipped through her shoulder like air and what's worse? She was looking at where he was standing and was not seeing him. There was nothing in her eyes, not a flicker of recognition of confusion or anything.

Dread filled his bones, dropping the temperature in his body to freezing.

"Kailani?" He choked out, trying not to accept that she couldn't see him, not when she had seen him just a few days earlier. She showed no sign of hearing but he did hear her sigh and in that sigh, he heard something that cracked his heart.

It was loneliness and heartache and resigned. Something he thought he never hear coming from his girl that was sitting up now on the bed, looking dazed and tired.

"Kailani. It's me. Jack." He sounded desperate in his ears, his heart was refusing to see what his mind was coming up with. She couldn't have. Not yet. Not now when he needed her so badly it felt like an ache in his chest that would grow until she closed it.

She didn't hear him and Jack tried to control the panic and the taunts of Pitch that were warring in his mind.

"It's me. Jack. Jack Frost. Remember?"

Kailani sighed and got up, walking right through him and he gave shocked gasps, feeling so cold and afraid of what this meant. He gripped his staff tightly as he watched her place a hand on the window. He floated next to her, his heart drumming with fear and pain.

She had her eyes closed but he saw tears falling down her cheeks and his heart squeezed painfully against his chest. He didn't think when he reached out to wipe away her tears but his hand slipped through and it hurt him. It hurt him that she was suffering and crying and he could nothing to comfort her.

Nothing and he felt so useless.

"I'm sorry. I'm _so_ sorry." She said, her voice thick with emotion as she blinked rapidly as her tears fell and it sliced into him like knives.

She was sobbing now, trying to hold them in so no one would hear and Jack felt like crying himself as he saw her in so much pain and grief.

"I can't _do_ this anymore. It's too much. Too much..." She fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Jack reached out to hug her, wanting to take away her pain and shoulder it for her. He wanted to stop this but his arms just went through her like air and he yelled in frustration.

"_Please,_ Kailani. Look at me. I _need_ you." Jack said, wanting her to hear him, to talk to him, to do something. Anything to stop this frustration and confusion growing in his mind.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry. I'm done. I'm giving up your stories. I can't believe in them anymore. I tried _so_ hard, dad, so _damn_ hard but I can't keep holding on. And Jack..."

He jerked his head up and kneeled next to her, wanting her to know he was there. "I don't even know if he was real or a dream. He made me feel alive, dad. So alive and I wanted him to be with me because he calmed the anger and resentment in me. He helped me believe but I haven't seen him. Anywhere. I can't keep waiting anymore. I can't, just can't..."

"No, Kailani. I'm here. Right here._ Look_ at me. You make me_ feel_. You do. And I _need_ you so much, Kailani. I need you like you need me. You help me believe in myself. You help me with everything. Please, Kailani. Look at me. I need you because I_ love_ you."

He dropped his staff, reeling with the realization of what he had said. He loved her. That was what the feelings meant whenever he looked at her or thought. It meant that pain and ache in his heart that he got when he thought about leaving her. It was the warmth and tingle he got when touched her. It was the feeling of happiness and joy he got when he talked to her. It was the feeling of warmth when she laughed or smiled that made his heart race. It was her and he had fallen in love without knowing it.

And now the burning in his heart was growing in size because she was giving up. She was giving _him_ up and it was killing him.

"Please, Kailani. Believe in me. Believe. You _have_ to believe."

"I can't anymore. I'm so sorry."

"Please, Kailani. Hold on. Just hold on. I'm coming for you, okay. You have to stay strong. You're brave. Don't give up, not yet. I love you. I _love_ you, Kailani and I'll do everything I can to help you. Just _hold_ on." Jack said, tears falling down his cheeks silently. He had to get out. He had to get this anger and frustration out somehow.

"I'll come back. I love you." Jack said, his body yearning to go back to the girl he loved who was in so much pain and grief. He had to go.

With his heart breaking and mind warring, he flew out of the window, the sound of Kailani giving up tearing at him.


	14. Kailani 14

**Thanks so much for reviewing to everyone. To those who couldn't get my reply back to your reviews, Thank you. I wish I could've personally thanked you through me but alas it couldn't happen but I am shocked that i got more than 10. I really only was expecting about 6 maybe 8 tops, not over ten so thank you guys for reviewing and helping me reach my goal. Anyways, this story is almost, just a few more chapter before the epilogue and I can start working on the sequel. Hope you enjoy reading this chapter and again please review so I can update faster. Thank you all again!**

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She felt horrible and sick and lonely. She felt like a mess and it didn't help that she actually _did_ look one. Her hair was limp, her face blotchy and red from crying, her eyes swollen. She felt tired. Drained. Useless.

She had done it. She had finally given up her fantasies and stories. And it _hurt._ It squeezed her chest like a boa constrictor until she felt like she couldn't breathe. This was horrible and she_ hated_ herself for doing this but it was necessary.

It was time for her to grow up. She had been hanging on to her childhood and the rope had finally broke as she grew and refused to grow up. But now, it was time and she hated every minute of it. Her flame had diminished and she felt like she was freezing from the despair and confusion.

She wanted to stay on the ground, kneeling on the cold and let herself get sick as her tears dried on her cheeks and clothes and thighs. She wanted to, she was _tempted_ to but knew that it wasn't going to fix anything.

She wanted to see _him_ again. She wanted to see the white haired boy, Jack Frost. She wanted him to be here, with her, warming her insides, causing her heart to race and her palms to sweat and the butterflies to break out all over her body. She didn't just like him. It was something else. Something _deeper._ Something she had no name for because she had never experienced this before.

She felt calm and joyful in his presence. She wanted to get to know him. She wanted to _be_ there for him, wanted to know everything about him, what made him angry and what made him happy. She felt like she had known him for months rather than days but then reality came knocking on her window and she was forced to wake up from her dream.

Jack Frost wasn't real. He never was. The feelings that she associated with him whenever she thought about him and saw him were just that. Feelings. Feelings she could banish with time. Feelings that never existed.

Forcing herself, she stood up on shaky legs and felt herself sway with dizziness. She needed to eat something but she had no desire to. She would check on Sophie and Jamie, to make sure they were okay and then go back to her room and cry herself into oblivion.

Walking like an old woman, she checked on Sophie's room and saw her sleeping soundly with her stuffed toy and blanket. She smiled softly, a flicker of warmth fluttering her heart before the cold wind of despair blew it out. With her throat thick with emotion, she closed the door and headed to Jamie's room.

She was about to knock until he heard him talk urgently to someone. Frowning, she opened the door a crack and stuck her head in. Jamie was sitting cross-legged on his bed with a stuffed bunny in front of him. He was talking to it and she didn't understand why he was up so late.

"Okay, look. You and I are obviously at what they call a crossroads. So, here's what gonna happen. If it wasn't a dream, if you _are_ real, then you have to prove it. Like right now."

Kailani felt her heart squeeze painfully at the sight of a hopeful Jamie looking at a bunny. "I believed in you for a long time, okay. Like, my whole life in fact. So you kinda owe me now. You don't have to do much. Just a little sign. Anything. _Anything_ at all."

She couldn't take it. She pushed the door open and stepped in. "Jamie?" She asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Kai..." He said and the way he looked at her, with dimming hope sliced into her heart. She avoided his gaze, looking at the window, feeling something tugging at her but she didn't pay it mind.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" She murmured as she stepped in and sat on his bed, tucking one leg under the other.

"I was trying to get proof of the Easter Bunny."

She winced and grabbed the bunny, looking at him, feeling something tugging at her again but she ignored it. It was too late for her. And maybe for Jamie. She didn't say nothing as she caressed the bunny, looking at him, feeling something in her heart grow but ignored it. It was fake. Not real. _Not real..._

"You believe in the Easter Bunny, right Kai?" Jamie asked as he looked at her and she turned to see him, feeling so empty and drained. What could she say to him? What could she do?

She sighed and placed the bunny on the bed, right next to Jamie. "You do, right?"

She hated the pleading in his voice because it told her how weak and useless she was.

"Are you crying?" Jamie asked and she blinked, looking at him, feeling self-conscious. "Your eyes are swollen."

"I'm fine. Just tired."

_About everything._

"Well, do you-"

"Jamie," She said interrupting his question because she knew she was going to hurt him and that was the last thing she wanted to do. She didn't want him to get hurt like she did when their father died. She didn't _want_ him to get hurt like she did when her mother left Kailani to do all the work, raising them, caring them, feeding them for three years. She didn't _want_ him to suffer like she was at this moment.

She felt this huge gaping hole in her chest that seemed to suck the life out of her as she gave up the fight of holding on. It was a losing battle and she knew she was going to lose but she was just avoiding the inevitable.

She was avoiding growing up. But now it was time to let go because if she kept doing this to herself, she was going to burn herself out and be completely useless to Jamie and Sophie. "I'm going to tell you a story."

Jamie cocked his head, confusion written all over his face. A face that reminded her of her father and that twinge gripped her heart. "There was a girl who had loving parents. Her father told her stories about the tooth fairy, the sandman, the easter bunny, Santa Claus and Jack Frost."

Her heart broke again at the sound of his name. Oh, how she wanted him to be real. How she _wanted_ him to be with her. But he wasn't real. He _never_ was and that hurt more than the entire pain of the world.

"Her father told her stories about these guardians who protected children, naughty or nice, good or bad. They protected them and in turn, the children believed in them. Their belief gave these guardians the power to bring joy to children all over the world." She was finding it hard to continue this story, because this story was about _her_. This was _her_ life and it hurt to talk about it.

She had walked to the slightly open window, placing her hand on the window. There was that tug again, fierce now as she felt a certain warmth coming in from outside, causing her heart to race and butterflies to break out. She knew this feeling but beat it back violently. This was _not_ real. _He_ was not real. She had to stop living in the fantasy world and grow up.

"But her father left and never came back." Her voice cracked but she cleared her throat. She stared at the window, not wanting to leave for some reason.

"And when he left, he took back his stories about the guardians."

"And the girl?" Jamie asked and Kailani closed her eyes, the pain coming now as she felt a lone tear fall. She felt the wind blow in, almost like a caress and she almost felt calm.

"She tried to believe. She tried _so_ hard but she was growing up and it was getting harder for her to believe in them. Her father was gone. Her mother..." Here her anger spiked as she opened her eyes, feeling something pulling her towards the right side of the window, begging her to turn her head and she thought she heard the wind whisper her name but she ignored it. This was over. It would always _be_ over.

"Her mother was never really there. But one of the guardians came to see her and for the first time, she felt alive and happy because she knew her father's stories were real." She smiled now, recalling the memory of Jack Frost. The way he looked and talked. The way he seemed as if he was about burst open with extreme joy. The way he made her _feel._

"They got to know each other over time and her belief was growing strong." She breathes in the chill of the wind, feeling_ something _from outside.

"He left and never came back and she started to lose her belief."

"Why?" Jamie asked and she sighed heavily before turning back to him.

"Because he left her alone. Like her father and her mother and the stories and the boy who visited her made her feel alive and happy. Something she hadn't felt for a long time. But when the guy left her alone, she gave up. She couldn't take any more people leaving her."

Because she had fallen in love.

With _him._

And it hurt that her feelings of love and happiness and joy were fake and a part of dream and it hurt that she was _so _stupid to believe that she could be _in __love _with a ghost, a dream when all she ever felt was anger, towards her mother, towards her father, towards _herself. This _was stupid. _She _was stupid for believing, even for a minute, that she could be in love with Jack Frost, stupid to believe that she could be happy and _free, _something she hadn't felt in a long time, not since her father died. She was _so _stupid to believe that Jack Frost was the one who could bring those emotions inside her to the surface. She was stupid and it hurt her that even thought what she _felt _may have felt real to her, it was in fact not. Those feeling were an illusion, a trick to snare her in and she was dumb to have fallen for it.

And it _hurt._

Because this was the real world. She was a part of it whether she wanted to be or not.

Jamie looked at her, his face twisted up in wonder and confusion.

"Since then, she stopped trying to believe in the guardians anymore because they disappointed her. _He _disappointed her. It hurt too much for her to keep holding on." She sat down on the bed and picked up the bunny, trying to hide her tears from Jamie.

"Jamie, I don't think I can believe in the easter bunny anymore like the girl from the dream. I think someone would need proof to believe and for me, that hasn't happened. Not for a long time. Not since..." She choked up and looked at the bunny, almost crushing it in her hands before continuing. Why did this hurt so bad?

"So until I have actual proof, I don't think I can believe in them. But you can." She cupped his chin, feeling her heart squeeze with grief and resignation.

"You don't have to give up. You're young and full of joy and happiness. I love you no matter what I choose to believe in. What matters is that I believe in_ you._"

Jamie looked up at her and gave a hesitant smile. She hugged him, wanting to feel something ever since the whole seeing things picked up. She wanted a shred of hope, of warmth, of security from the white haired boy who awoke feelings in her she thought she never had.

But she couldn't. Because he wasn't real.

He _never_ was. And she didn't know which hurt more.

Giving up in a fantasy she didn't want leave or believing in a fantasy and having reality crush it like glass.

"I'm heading to bed. I'll be in there if you need anything, okay?" She said, pulling back and felt her heart drop at the look of loss in his eyes.

"Okay," he mumbled but didn't move. She got up and kissed his forehead, close to breaking down again. She quickly fled his room, closing the door and rushed to her room, breaking down in shoulder shaking sobs.

Jamie was giving up and it was all her fault.

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**Review please!**


	15. Kailani 15

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

She groaned into her pillow as her head pounded in pain. She just wanted to sleep and forget this pain in her heart and soul. She wanted the darkness of her dreams so she wouldn't remember what she had done. Cutting off her beliefs, cutting off her father, her last connection with her father.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

The knocking was hurting her head and she wanted it to stop so she can sleep and forget the pain in her heart and forget about the harsh cold reality that was awaiting for. She wanted to forget about the white haired boy who she now knew was just a figment of her imagination, even if she was crushing on him hard like a drug addict.

She wanted to forget.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Shut up," She murmured as she got up from the bed, her body battered and bruised from the inside from her emotional state the last few days. She didn't even have the will to walk towards the door to tell them to leave her alone. It was too much of an effort.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

She froze, heart stilling, blood cooling as she realized that the knocking wasn't coming from her door, but from behind her in the window. Slowly, she turned around and her eyes widened with confusion and fear and terror as she saw Jamie knocking on her window quite excitedly, smiling like he won the lottery.

What the _hell_ was going on?

_"Jamie!"_ She hissed angrily as she forgot about her weak, emotionally drained body as she got up and ran to the window, nearly tripping over her sock clad feet as she threw the window open, the cold wind biting at her exposed skin.

"What are you doing out _here?!_ Get your butt back in _this minute! _You can hurt yourself!" She reached for him but something tugged him back, like an invisible string. She felt a tug in her heart, a flicker in her vision as she saw someone behind Jamie flicker before disappearing.

She couldn't understand what was going on and confusion and worry warred in her heart as she saw Jamie floating in mid-air.

"Get back in here!" She hissed, leaning out towards the window, ignoring the cold, only heeding to her maternal instinct to get Jamie to safety, to get him back inside before he got hurt. Nothing else mattered. Just Jamie.

"We need your help, come on!" He exclaimed as he bounced in the air. Every time he moved an inch, terror seized in her chest like a boa constrictor and she couldn't breathe. Jamie was going to get hurt.

"Get in here!" She reached for him again but tripped on her shoe and nearly tumbled out of her window before her hands and arms instinctively grabbed onto the ledge of the window.

_"Kailani!"_

_That voice._ She knew that voice and hope began to bloom in heart, turning on the light in a place full of darkness. Her heart raced with fear and worry as she clung to the railing, her stomach smarting from the pain when she hit the edge. Adrenaline was still running in her veins and she couldn't seem to move.

"Come on, Kai. We need your help." Her brother said before he was flying off in another direction and she screamed his name out into the open.

_"JAMIE! JAMIE!"_ She screamed over and over again, fear and worry turning into anger as she contemplated on going after him. She was going to_ kill_ him for doing this. What the _hell_ was he thinking? He was going to be in so much trouble when she got her hands on him.

"Hi, Kai!" She heard a chorus of her name being shouted out at her as she saw Jamie's friends sliding down the ice-covered street on their sleds in the middle of the night.

What the hell was going on?!

_"WHAT ARE YOU KIDS DOING?!"_ She screeched at them while they laughed joyfully.

"Jamie needs help!" They said before they disappeared down a corner. This had to be a dream. There was absolutely no way that this was happening. She pinched herself until a bite of pain exploded in her arm. Pain or not, this could not be happening. There was no way Jamie was floating around in the air as his friends followed him, saying he needed help.

"I'm going to kill him." She murmured as she slammed the window down violently, causing it to rattle. Dream or not, she was going after Jamie and dragging him and his friends back home. Who knows what could happen to unsupervised children in the middle of the night on dark and lonely streets.

She yanked on her white sneakers, tossed on her grey sweatshirt, and grabbed a baseball bat from her closet. She had no idea why she grabbed the bat but probably thought it was best if she was armed for any danger.

She wasn't going to swing it at Jamie's head.

Not yet, at least.

She pulled her door open and ran down the stairs, yanked open the front door before slamming it shut and ran out into the street where Jamie and his friends headed. The cold wind bit her at her exposed legs and thighs and she cursed her self for not putting on some sweatpants to give her warmth, but she was too worried and angry at Jamie to even bother.

What the hell was Jamie thinking? Leaving his room to play in the middle of the night. What was_ wrong_ with him? He could been kidnapped or worse! She shuddered at the thought. Not on her watch was she going to let Jamie get away with this.

Nuh-uh, no sirree. She was going after him and hope that he was praying because when she caught up to him, she was killing him, then she was going to bring him back to life, then kill him again for causing her to worry about his safety and concern. She started running, the bat swinging from her hand as she gripped it tightly, feeling the burn in her thighs and legs. She no longer could feel the cold, but that was simply because she was running on adrenaline and anger was warming her veins like fire.

The fire in her heart and body was glowing fiercely now, illuminating the dark and lonely places in her heart where her beliefs had fractured like broken eggshells.

She was determined as ever to get to him. She was not letting him out of her sight. But something nagged at her as she ran, hearing thunder crack up ahead.

He had said, _"We need your help."_

Who was we? What did he mean by that? And who was that person who called out her name and holding Jamie up before her window? She knew Jamie wasn't flying by himself because she saw the back of his shirt tugged up high. But she was so blind in her worry and terror that she had overlooked that detail. She only wanted to get him to safety.

Her heart raced as her legs burned with her running and her breath came out in gasps, puffing out small white clouds from her lips. She stopped, a stitch burning in her side. She was tired. Emotionally, physically, mentally.

But Jamie_ needed_ her. He_ needed_ her. Not their mother, _her._ He needed _her_ help and someone else, too. She wanted to stop and sleep on the ground until it enveloped her but she pushed those feelings aside, focusing on the image of Jamie pleading for her help.

He needed her and she'll be damned if she let him down. She was not going to do that. Not in her lifetime. Not anymore. Spotting a skateboard propped up on a porch, she snatched it and dug in her pocket of her sweatshirt to find at least ten dollars and left it in the mail, apologizing mentally for the theft.

Jumping over the rail of the porch, she placed the skateboard on the street and got on, pushing with her right foot as she followed the frozen ice ramp that led to Jamie and his friends. She pulled up her hoodie to cover her head as she picked up speed and she balanced on the board.

There was something nagging at her about the way the ice ramp froze over the street as she rushed past the cars and the wind whipped at her thighs and face. It looked almost unnatural. Almost as if it were done on purpose.

She continued down the street, pushing aside all her worries and fear and thoughts as she pushed with her foot to get to Jamie.

He needed her and she was going to help him.

Then she was going to kill him.

_Perfect plan._

Help Jamie, then kill him.

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**Thanks again guys and please review. We have about four or five more chapters before the epilogue hopefully! Oh and a favor. Can you guys read and review _The Love They Left Behind_ on my account. I just started on it and I would like to get feed back. Again and review, review, review!**


	16. Jack 16

Jack and everyone else stopped near the corner where the Petroleum gas station was. He saw the way the nightmare clouds rolled towards them like a storm as it crackled and burned with Pitch's nightmares and power.

He and the guardians were grateful and feeling a bit stronger now that Jamie's friends had come to help. He hoped with all his heart and soul that Kailani would come.

His heart squeezed with memory as he last saw her. Broken, confused, hurt, and in pain. Giving up on the Guardians. On him and it sliced him to know that she had waited for him and he never came because Pitch had him trapped, wasting precious time that cost Bunnymund dearly.

Time that could've helped the children believe. Time that he could've used to help Kailani, especially her. Because he knew now why she was the only one who could see him and why he felt all those confusing yet wonderful feelings his body made whenever he thought about her or talked to her or touched her. He knew now why he felt that tangible crackling energy between them when they first met, more like she crashed into him. He knew now why he was so anxious to be near her when she was no longer in his sight. He was feeling that now. That rope that was tugging at him leading him towards the one girl that believed him in before Pitch began to break her beliefs little by little.

He knew now why he wanted to know everything about her and be a part of her life, a part of her heart. He knew because he loved her. He loved her and sensed she did, too even if she didn't understand. He didn't know how or when. Perhaps it was the time she first spoke his name that sparked something in Jack that he felt that he had lost long ago. Perhaps it was when she first saw him and thought she was hallucinating but deep down knew she wasn't. Perhaps it was the way he first saw her carry on believing in him when she had every reason not to, when each obstacle she faced, he thought she couldn't overcome it but deep anyways. Or perhaps it was the time when they first saw each other, _really_ saw each other, as two people and the way they seemed to really connect and the urge he felt to hold her in her arms and for the first time, kiss her. Kiss her like he wanted to, deep and sweet and gentle.

The way he hadn't felt in a long time.

It could be many things but he knew now that he loved her and was going to do everything he could to protect her and her family. Because she meant everything to him and he didn't want Pitch to have his claws in her anymore. No more.

"Yeah-Ah!" The kid with the glasses yelled as he ran to defend them but ran right back around as soon as he saw Pitch on his Nightmare horse.

"You think a few children can help you? Against _this?_" Pitch gestured to the thundering clouds of nightmare as it began to envelop the town, spreading fear in children's heart.

North tried to lift his sword but was too weak as Jack and Tooth touched him as he leaned weakly on his sword.

"They're just bad dreams, Jamie." Jack said and he couldn't help but notice the similarities between Jamie and Kailani's faces. Was it the shape of their chin or the hair color?

"We'll protect you mate." A small Bunnymund said as he bounced with energy.

"Aw, you'll protect them?" Pitch said mockingly as he began to laugh, thunder resonating with his cold laugh. Jack stepped closer and clutched his staff, ignoring the way his heart seemed to tug towards his right and the warmth that seemed to be coming from there.

"But who will protect you?" Jack hadn't thought about that. He and the Guardians were so focused on protecting the children that they forgot that no one would protect them. At least, that was what he thought until Jamie stepped up in front of them.

"I will."

Soon, everyone began to step up towards Pitch and stand in front of them following Jamie's actions and words.

"Still think there's no such thing as the Boogeyman?" Pitch asked as the clouds rushed towards them like crashing waves of the ocean. It burned out the streetlights and covered the place in darkness. Jack's heart began to race as he waited for the assault.

He would go down fighting if it came to that.

"I do believe in you. I'm just not afraid of you."

_"NO!"_ Everyone turned to see a girl running towards them with a baseball bat in her hands and her face covered by her hoodie. Jack felt the tug in his heart and the warmth attack him like an avalanche. He knew who she was.

He knew and felt fear and a surge of protectiveness well up in him as he saw her hoodie fall back as she stepped in front of Jamie.

_"NO!"_ Jack yelled as he rushed to get to her but everything felt like it was in slow motion. He saw her raise the bat to take a swing, running to stand in front of Jamie, her body conveying fierce determination and anger, her need to protect Jamie overpowering her thoughts and needs until one thought stood out.

She was going to get sucked up in his world of nightmares and would have no hope of getting out. All in order to protect Jamie.

And Jack couldn't get to her in time.

He wouldn't be able to save her and he wouldn't be able to tell her that he loved her.

She swung the bat with all her might just as the cloud came towards her. Jack only had time to graze her shoulder before she was enveloped in the cloud, the cloud sucking her in, leaving the rest of the kids alone. Anger and terror rushed in Jack's body and this need, this huge need to fight off Pitch until he had her in his arms. He had gripped the staff, ready to aim a shot at Pitch until the black clouds that had sucked in Kailani whole had changed into gold dust.

Gold dust that Jack knew very,_ very_ well.

The black clouds had changed into gold dust, heading back towards Pitch, evaporating his clouds and turning them into gold dust and Jack felt a surge of happiness and joy to see that Sandy was back and Kailani was stunned as she stood in front of the kids, looking at the gold dust, a hint of remembrance in her confused green eyes. She was unharmed and unhurt and Jack felt relief swamp him like a tide.

Everyone laughed and cheered. Tooth regained back her flying and North looked healthier and was branding up his swords like a warrior.

"No! Get them! Do your jobs!" Pitch yelled as the horses headed straight towards them. Jack saw Kailani stand tall and determined as she brandished her baseball bat like a pitcher. He saw the fierce, determined gaze in her eyes.

"Alright kids, if these things don't kill us, I will," Kailani said, stepping back, standing in front of Jamie and the rest of them. Jack stood next to her and they stared at each other momentarily, the energy crackling between them, tugging them closer. He smiled and she smiled back, a fierce, determined gaze in her eyes.

"Took you long enough. Taking my brother out like that." She murmured as the horses ran towards them.

"You know me, I like to be fashionably late and I love attention." Jack said, feeling his heart stutter just by looking at her and the nerves in his stomach began to ease. She rolled her eyes and looked back to the horses.

"Alright, if anyone of you don't get a hit at them, I'll give _you_ a hit ten times more. _Especially_ you, Jamie." She said, a tone of anger underneath it but Jack knew she was only worried about Jamie.

"But-" Jamie began

"No buts! You are in so much trouble when we get home."

"But Kai-"

"No! None of that Kai stuff. Defeat these ugly horses and_ maybe_ I won't kill you." She smiled at this and Jamie smiled back and the kids snickered.

"And that goes for all of you kids. I'm killing each and every one of you for getting me worried like that. Help me and the Guardians defeat these things and I won't tell your parents or kill you."

North created two portals, letting several yetis come through as they ran past them and Kailani and Jack.

"What in the world?" She asked but Jack just chuckled and stepped closer to her. Toys and Bunnymunds' warrior rock eggs came and carried some of the kids on top of them.

"Let's get them!" Cupcake yelled and everyone rushed ahead. Jack saw Kailani swing her bat with a grunt, hitting the horses with a deadly precision, causing them to explode into dust.

Jack knew he should go after Pitch while everyone else was fighting off the Pitch's nightmare horses but he was reluctant to leave Kailani. Either she sensed his reluctance or saw it, she hit a horse, swinging her bat down on it's head like an ax and turned to him, breathing hard but enjoying every minute of it.

"Go, Jack." She said, stepping closer to him, the battle going on around them momentarily forgotten.

He hesitated. He knew she could take of herself but he felt that need to help her, to care for her, rear up in him and he couldn't shut it down.

"But you and Jamie and-"

"Can do this ourselves. Go help the others with Pitch. Make him stop messing with our beliefs. Make him pay for making us suffer." She said, now only inches away from him, her green eyes looking into his blue ones.

Still, he hesitated. He couldn't just _leave_ her. Not without telling her how he felt about her.

"I have to tell you-"

"Later." She said and he opened his mouth to say that he loved her but no words ever came because her lips had come down on his. He was stunned and frozen, the euphoria and warmth and joy of having her lips touch his exploding inside of him like fireworks. He didn't want this stop, to her stop. He wanted this to continue. He kissed her back,arms reaching out to her back but she had stepped back, a fire in her eyes that burned wild and made his blood turn warm.

"I love you, Jack. The moment I first saw you, actually saw you, I loved you. I don't know how or why but I just do. I can't explain this tugging in my heart whenever you're near or the energy between us that seems to ignite whenever we're near each other. There's a lot of reasons of why I love you but we don't have time now."

She stepped closer, cupping her hand against his cold cheek. She didn't seem to feel his cold but wouldn't be surprised because right now he felt like he was burning like a torch. "But one of the reasons is because you helped me believe. You helped me believe in you and the Guardians when I wanted to give up and you didn't let me. You helped me and I fell in love with you because of that."

Jack was completely shell-shocked and stunned. His mouth opened to make words but couldn't make them. He couldn't find the words to say that what she felt, he was feeling it, too. Maybe more.

"Now go._ Go, Jack._" She said, kissing him once more on the mouth, setting the cooling fire in his body to an inferno again and the energy between them crackling like electricity. She pulled back only after a second and ran off to bash a horse's head in.


	17. Kailani 17

**Sorry, it's so short but since most of you know that my account was hacked, I had to redo everything but don't worry with two or three more chapters left, I will try to make them longer. Hopefully, I can update next week with a longer chapter. Thank you all for being there for me and following/favoriting this story. It pushes me to keep updating. Thank you all!**

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She can't believe she actually did it. She can't believe she actually kissed him. She kissed Jack Frost. _The_ Jack Frost.

Her face burned with embarrassment but she did not regret it at all. What she told him was true. She loved Jack Frost. Not the idea of him but the real him. The one who had a hard time trying to get children to believe in him. The one who felt hurt and angry when a child passed through. The one who told her that she was the only one who believed in him. The one who told her who she was. The one who was so confused but had finally begun to understand what he was meant to do when the Man of the Moon woke him up. The one who looked at her like she was the only person in the entire world who understood him and on many levels, she could. The one who could make her heart race with one touch, the one who could make her body burn with energy whenever he touched her or was near her. The one who helped her believe again. The one who didn't give up on her.

The one she had fallen in love with it without knowing it. She bashed a horse's head in, feeling a sense of accomplishment as it burst into nothing. She couldn't even begin to explain what had just happened when she had found Jamie and his friends.

She felt a sense of danger in the air and fear seeping from her brother and she had froze. She could not make her leg move no matter how much she yelled at herself inside, trying to get her body to move but she couldn't.

_She._

_Just._

_Couldn't._

She knew this feeling. She knew the feeling of despair and hopelessness. That nothing would ever get better ever again. The fear that choked her around her throat and she couldn't fight it because it was hopeless. But she saw Jamie and a slow anger began to send heat in her bones, rushing through her veins like fire, warming her body, beating away the cold.

Suddenly, she began to see. See that Jamie and his friends were not alone and the huge dark clouds with thunder rushing towards them and a man, the boogeyman was taunting them but not just them. The people she had lost faith in. The people her father had told her and Jamie and little Sophie about. The people who watched over them, who watched over her when she was a child.

Santa Claus. The Tooth Fairy. The Easter Bunny. And one boy. A boy who made her heart race and butterflies break out in her stomach and heat erupt in her blood like an avalanche.

_Jack Frost._

When she saw them, tears burned in her eyes and the flickering hope in her heart began to glow, glowing brighter by the second the longer she stared at them. The fire began to flick before growing in size until it exploded inside of her body, her soul, eradicating the fear and despair and grief inside her, the darkness screeching with pain as the fire grew bright, unwavering.

"Still think there's no such thing as the Boogeyman?"

Her heart began to race because she _knew_ that voice. Knew it like her own. The voice that taunted her dreams, turning them to nightmares. The voice that her father disappear in front of her eyes. The voice that made Jack Frost look away and run off. The voice that made her beliefs waver.

Pitch.

And suddenly, she hated him. She hated him with passion and when she saw his cloud going towards the Guardians, towards _Jamie_, she found she could move. A new fear rising inside of her. The fear of losing Jamie.

And Jamie was standing straight but she could sense the worry coming off of him in waves and that kicked her into gear.

"I _do_ believe in you. I'm just not_ afraid_ of you."

She felt her heart race and she ran, ran without thinking. Only knowing that she _had_ to get to Jamie before the clouds did. She just had to protect him. She ran.

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**Review Please!**


	18. Jack 18

**Sorry it's been so late. I started working and the internet has Barrucuda and I can't type up on inkpadnotepad like I usually do or else I would've been update. Again, thank you all for being patient and understanding as this summer has been crazy. Hopefully, this story will be done in another week or and if people want, I can write a sequel. Thank you!**

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The image of Kailani burned in Jack's mind as he and the Guardians fought against Pitch Black, pushing him to finish him once for and all.

To finish him for threatening the innocence of all the children all around the world.

To finish him for what he did to Kailani.

Jack pushed him as they fought, protecting each other's back, attacking Pitch as a unit.

"It's over, Pitch. There's no place to hide." Jack said threateningly, his face contorted in fierce determination and anger as he and the Guardians pushed Pitch into an alley with no escape.

Pitch looked around before laughing as he slipped down into the ground, disappearing. Jack looked around with his staff at the ready for any attack as they heard Pitch's laugh and his shadow on the building.

"Jack, look out!" Bunnymund yelled and Jack immediately turned, stunned to see Pitch holding a weapon, ready to aim for him until Bunnymund's boomerang hit Pitch's wrist but that didn't stop him.

Pitch raised his weapon once more but a whip of gold dust snagged both of wrists together, snapping him back as he yelled in surprise.

Jack saw the huge whirlpool of gold dust and smiled as Sandy sarcastically made a motion of "Nuh-uh-uh." before punching him, bringing him up high in the sky as Sandy held on to the gold dust rope.

"The Sandman," Jamie said along with his friends as they stopped to see him give a tipped hat salute to Jamie, to which he happily returned. The rope yanked and Sandy pulled back the rope, bringing Pitch slamming to the ground.

Everyone went to congratulate Sandy as he happily accepted the praise. Jack saw Kailani coming up the hill, dragging her baseball bat, scrapes on the back of her thighs and palm and Jack felt his insides squeeze at the thought of her being hurt.

He rushed to her side, stopping in front of her as she controlled her heavy breathing and brushed back her hair that had stuck her flaming cheeks. Jack really wanted to touch those cheeks, to feel their warmth as their lips joined together.

"Is it over?" She asked him and Jack nodded before she sighed heavily and rushed to hug him. He grunted with the impact but quickly hugged her back, holding her to him tightly as he breathed in her scent, a lavender type of smell that made him feel comforted and not alone.

He didn't want to let go of that scent. They held each other for who knows how long, but long enough to feel a hard stomp come near them and Jack instinctively pulled her closer to survey where the danger was but he laughed when he saw the golden dinosaur walking past them along with hundreds of other animals that were remnants of children's dreams.

She let go of him and gasped as she saw the dinosaur walk by, her green eyes wide delight and she laughed and rushed to the dinosaur, acting so much like a child that Jack couldn't help but smile and feel his insides warm as she ran under the dinosaur, touching its' legs, laughing and smiling as if she had no care in the world.

This was the happiest he had ever seen her be from the time he met her until now. He vowed to make sure that she had that smile on her face and that laughter again, no matter what it took, no matter how long. As long as she smiled and laughed with absolutely no fear of nightmares.

Because that's what he wanted for her.

He wanted her happy and safe.

He saw her giggle and rub her cheeks against the golden dolphins that swam around her as she dropped the baseball bat and squealed, twirling around and around as the dolphins circled her.

He turned to see Jamie looking at the golden fishes and Jack smiled, bending down to grab a snowball and smacked him right in the back.

Jamie turned, confused until Jack tossed the snowball in his hand gently in the air before catching it. Jamie laughed and grabbed his own snowball, throwing it at his friend with the glasses and before Jack knew it, everyone was in on the snowball fight.

"Your Center?"

"Well, It took a while." Jack began as he looked at the kids throwing snowballs and laughing cheerfully. but as his gaze landed on Kailani, who was still playing with the golden dolphins and butterflies which were darting in and out of her, causing her to giggle like a little girl.

He loved her like this. So carefree and filled with joy. He never wanted her to ever stop being like this.

So happy and carefree.

It was because of her that he had managed to figure out what his roll in this whole scenario was and who he wanted to be. Someone who was worthy of her. Someone who could protect her and Sighters just like her. He wanted this feeling of accomplishment to continue on, stopping the whirlpool of confusing and angry emotions that had grown inside of him, unable to understand why he was here, why no one could see him, why he felt useless and inadequate.

It was her who made him winter to be something better, to _be _someone better and more understanding. It was her that pushed him to work with the Guardians and help save the children and Sighters from losing their beliefs. She helped him find a purpose.

And he would forever be grateful for whatever being caused his Kailani to be born and be tossed into his path. He absolutely could not imagine his life without her in it.

He stared at her, at the girl who suffered so much but refused to give up hope, to give up on him, and he fell in love with her without even knowing.

"But I figured it out." He finally said to North before pulling his gaze away from her and towards North, who gave him a knickknack of a mini Jack Frost looking up at him from his palm.

Jack chuckled quietly as North laughed until he got hit by a snowball. North turned around to see tow of Jamie's friend and a elf behind him and the two kids were pointing towards the elf.

"Haha, you're all on naughty list. Bunny, think fast." North yelled as he tossed a snowball at him.

Before Jack knew it, he and everyone else were in on the snowball fight. It wasn't until Pitch's word sunk in that he managed to pay attention to what was going on and what he heard froze his body.

"You _dare_ have fun in my presence?! I am the boogeyman and you w_i_ll fear me. Especially her!

Pitch's evil voice rang out, the children unaware of the sudden danger. At first Jack thought Pitch was referring to Sophie but when he turned to look at her, Pitch wasn't near her.

He was aiming for Kailani and Jack felt his body freeze like a block of ice. He couldn't move. Everything was suddenly in slow motion. The flying snowball that was moving at a snail's pace in mid-air. Kailani bending down to pick up her bat, that achingly beautiful smile still on her face. Pitch flying towards her.

Jack found that everything was too slow, he was unable to get to her in time and he couldn't reach for her in time.

Time picked up speed again once Kailani grabbed hold of the bat, standing straight and looking towards him, the voices and laughter now loud and strong.

She saw his panicked face before that smile of hers dropped and a frown was placed instead.

Jack only had time to yell out a, _"Run!"_ as he flew towards her.

She didn't understand and Jack pushed himself faster, but he was too far and Pitch was too close.

She only had time to gasp as Pitch wrapped his arms around her neck and waist, yanking her to him as she paled and struggled against him, dropping the bat in the process.

_"JACK!"_ She screamed, trying to reach for him but Pitch was pulling her away from him and it was ripping Jack apart. He wanted to blast Pitch but he couldn't without risking hurting her.

Pitch laughed as he began to head towards the lake with Jack following him along with the Guardians. Pitch stopped in the middle, his black shadows covering her mouth as he held her uncomfortably tight as she struggled against the grip.

"Let her go, Pitch. You're outnumbered." Jack said threateningly, his body tight with tenseness and anger, looking at Kailani with what he hoped was reassurance.

"I don't think so, Jack. I wouldn't do that if I were you Bunnymund. One attack and I send her into a world of nightmares that she will _never_ escape from." Pitch said, now holding the back of her hair, tilting her head back and the other arm restraining the rest of her body.

"Don't hurt her!" Jack yelled, yielding his staff like a weapon as he saw Kailani wince in pain and her horrified face drain of blood.

Pitch laughed again, smirking at Jack and that angered Jack more. He wanted to protect her and he couldn't even stop Pitch from grabbing her.

"You _like_ this human girl, don't you, Jack. Not very good for a Guardian now is it?" Pitch mocked as he tightened his hold on her hair, causing her to whimper and a tear to fall.

Jack felt like he was being sliced up at his lack of ability to protect her and at her pain. He felt useless and angry, so, so angry that he had to tighten his hold on the staff to stop himself from going further.

"Let the girl go, Pitch. There's nothing you can do. You're too weak." North said as he held his swords.

"Weak, am I? Every second this girl fear hits me, I get stronger. She's filled to the brim with fear and I _love_ it."

Jack saw red in his vision and he shot a blast at Pitch, yelling at him to let her go.

Pitch merely laughed and smiled cruelly at Jack.

"You destroyed _everything_ I cared for. I'm just returning the favor." Pitch said, bowing mockingly and Jack wanted to strangle him with his bare, cold hands.

"Do you know what _her_ fear is, Jack? Huh? Do you?" Pitch said as he caressed a struggling and whimpering Kailani on her cheek and the touch made Jack stomach roll.

"Here's a hint." Pitch said, turning to face him and the look on his face made Jack's body fill with horror and dread.

"She's scared of the water and do you know what else, Jack?" Pitch said, dark eyes mocking and filled with the satisfaction of a villain who was winning and Jack was powerless to stop him and save the girl he loved.

"She can't _swim."_

With those last words, Pitch snapped his finger and the spot where Pitch was holding Kailani suddenly melted and the shadow left her mouth. She screamed in terror and horror as Pitch let her go as she dropped from the air and straight into the melted hole where the icy cold water was waiting for her.

_"NO!"_ Jack screeched in horror as he raced for her but he was too late.

Kailani sank into the water as the water swallowed her body and her screams and as Pitch laughed with joy at Jack's despair and popped out of existence, leaving Jack to wallow in his pain and the Guardians stunned into silence.

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**Thank you once again and please review!**


	19. Kailani 19

When she saw Jack's face fill with terror and panic, she was confused. She didn't understand why he was looking at her like she was about to get kidnapped or something.

They won, hadn't they? Pitch was gone thanks to the Sandman.

Everyone was safe and happy, even having a snowball fight. But a sliver of fear made itself known in her stomach as she saw Jack fly towards her.

She was still confused but when she felt a pair of arms go around her waist and neck and she gasped with the harsh cold that those arms brought.

Panic filled her bones as she screamed for Jack, struggling to get him but the arms were too strong.

She saw the pain and horror on Jack's face and she heard someone laugh in her ear and that laugh made her body go cold with dread.

She _knew_ that laugh.

She heard that laugh so many times in dreams right before they turned into nightmares.

She felt herself being dragged away as her heart raced with fear and terror as she struggled to get away, but those arms were so tight and cold and unforgiving that it hurt for her to even breathe.

The fear she was feeling was nothing, _nothing_, compared to what she had felt in her nightmares because this time, she couldn't wake up.

Because she was _already _awake and this was a living nightmare.

"Let her go, Pitch. You're outnumbered." Jack said threateningly and she never felt such short lived relief and love until that moment where Jack had come to save her.

But that joy was short lived when the shadows covered her mouth with their cold touch.

Her fear ratcheted up so high, she was almost choking on it. She struggled hard against Pitch's too tight hold on her waist.

She wanted to get away. She wanted to run away and go straight to Jack's arm where she would be safe and unharmed.

"I don't think so, Jack. I wouldn't do that if I were you, Bunnymund. One attack and I send her into a world of nightmares that she will _never _awake from."

Hearing those words come from Pitch made her whole body drain of blood and her body break out in a cold sweat as he grabbed the back of her head, and pulled, forcing her head back.

She winced, her cries muffled by the shadow that covered her mouth like cool, sticky wax as fire ripped through her skull.

Tears began to fall in earnest now because Pitch was so cold and her head felt like it was being ripped apart and her heart was racing and her adrenaline was coming out in gushes, causing her to tremble and heighten her awareness and she realized how hopeless and vulnerable she was.

"Don't hurt her!" She heard Jack yell and the pain and helplessness in his voice caused her heart to ache.

She wanted to comfort him, to reach for him but she was struggling in Pitch's hold as he laughed and it sent shivers down her spine and all over he body not because of the cold.

Because of how heartless and cruel his laughter was and it sent another bucket load of fear in her body as her skull felt like it was going to come off at any moment because it hurt _so _much and the more she struggled to get away, the more it hurt.

But she couldn't _not _try to escape. She had to because Pitch was going to do something to do Jack and he was using her as bait.

She could practically feel the terror and frustration that Jack was feeling in waves and it just pushed her to keep fighting but it also pushed her fear to escalate.

"You _like_ this human girl, don't you, Jack? Not very good for a Guardian, now, is it?"

She whimpered as Pitch tightened the hold on her hair and she wanted to yank his hands away because it was burning her skull. Her skull itched and burned and throbbed with pain as she whimpered into her shadow covered mouth that seemed to be sucking at her mouth and she felt so dirty and useless, unable to escape from Pitch, unwilling to give up even if it was killing her head and body and heart.

"Let the girl go, Pitch. You're outnumbered. You're too weak." Santa Claus said and she saw him hold his swords but she closed her eyes, unable to keep them open because it hurt so much and it helped relieved _some _of the tingling and burning in her skull.

"Weak, am I? Every second this girl fear hits me, I get stronger. She's filled to the brim with fear and I _love _it."

She felt sick to her stomach as Pitch's words hit her. She was completely drowning in fear since the moment Pitch had grabbed and she couldn't seem to stop. Every second she was near him, her fear kept growing and growing and she couldn't seem to stop it.

She heard Jack yell and felt something hit the tree behind them, yelling at Pitch to let her go.

Oh, how she wished Pitch would let her go. She was terrified not only for herself but for Jack who seemed completely unhinged at the moment.

She wanted to leave and try to control her fear but couldn't. Pitch was too cold, too ruthless, too strong for her to get away.

"You destroyed _everything _I cared for. I'm just returning the favor." She heard Pitch say and dread began to fill her body in icy cold drips.

"Do you know what _her _fear is, Jack? Huh? Do you?"

She struggled and whimpered against Pitch's caress and hold because new terror had seeped in and she was frantic now. She didn't want Pitch to say it. She didn't want Pitch to make her fear come alive.

She didn't want Jack to know.

It was no coincidence that Pitch had taken them to the lake as Jack watched. She didn't want Pitch to know.

She didn't want to die and she was starting to cry now.

"Here's a hint."

_No, No, No, No. Stop this!_

She wanted to yell out loud but her heart was racing and the blood was drumming in her ear, making it hard to hear except for the pounding of her heart.

"She's scared of the water and do you know what else, Jack?"

_GET AWAY! GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM THE LAKE! GET AWAY!_

"She can't _swim._"

The shadow left her mouth and she screamed in horror and dread as she felt her body drop from Pitch's hold, the air rushing past her, her hair flying up as gravity pulled her down.

She flailed her arms, searching for a hold in the air as her screams ripped her throat out and it was raw.

She heard Jack scream a desperate _No_, and she wanted to have him save her but it was too late.

The icy cold water swallowed her whole and she nearly screamed under water as the water burned her body. It stung and burned and she was choking on the little water she had consumed before closing her mouth.

The shock of the cold water was harsh on her body and she couldn't even move because it hurt so much, like someone tying her entire body with rope as she struggled in the icy, cold water.

Her lungs were spasming and her body was numb with pain and she was shivering, body hurting _so _much she could barely think.

She kept kicking and kicking but she was sinking faster and the water was getting colder and her skin felt like it was being burned alive as the water pierced her body like sharp needles.

It was too much for her and she was struggling not to open her mouth that was fighting to get in some air in her body, not knowing it was water that would be coming in and not air.

It felt like trying to hold back a yawn but worse because she was shaking and trying to kick and reach but she was so numb with pain and cold, she couldn't tell which way was up or down.

She was delirious with pain and her lungs were squeezing painfully, burning her, hurting her and her stomach was sucking itself in, forcing her to open her mouth, feeling the back of her throat contract so her mouth would open and she was trying so hard to it, trying not to let it open because she was going to die and her heart was racing too hard and she felt lightheaded from the lack of air.

But oh, the cold. It was so cold and it burned her so much, she couldn't feel her legs and arms anymore.

Her vision was dimming and she was so, so tired as she sank farther away from the tiny hole that would mean freedom.

A nice, warm feeling began to invade her body as her body began to stop fighting, surrendering to the inevitable as her hair floated up and away from her face, her arms and legs floating.

She couldn't feel anything anymore and she couldn't see anymore. She couldn't remember anything. But her body was jerking, her heart was bursting, her lungs were spasming and she couldn't keep her mouth closed anymore.

She couldn't stop anymore.

She couldn't control anything anymore.

She was _done._

She opened her mouth...


	20. Jack 20

He was losing it, he was losing his mind. He couldn't think past his grief and pain.

He had to save her.

He couldn't live without her.

Jamie and Sophie couldn't live without her.

They needed her.

_He_ needed her.

He had made a promise.

Without thinking, without caring, without noticing anything but getting to Kailani, he flew towards the hole, tossing his staff aside as Tooth gasped and Bunny told him to wait.

But he couldn't wait.

_She _couldn't wait.

She was drowning and freezing to death and every second he spent was another second she was going without oxygen.

If Jack didn't do anything, she was going to die.

He felt like whole entire being was being ripped to shreds like confetti and his mind was close to exploding from so many thoughts of Kailani drowning, dying.

Oh, he couldn't lose her.

He let his grief and despair push him, his only focus, his entire focus on getting in that water and bringing her back up to the surface. He jumped in the water, feeling the cold water bite into his skin once it got past his clothes.

He swam deeply, looking for any sign of her but with every second he didn't see her, the more anxious and crazy he felt. His emotions were going haywire like faulty electricity. His body was stuck on adrenaline as he pushed back the dread and tried to control how fast he felt his chest moving.

The water was cold but for Kailani, who had blood in her veins, it would be beyond freezing. SHE would be freezing. With panic and terror growing inside of him, Jack swam deeper, the urge to breath becoming a bother as his lungs contracted but he wouldn't give up.

Not yet.

But with every stroke and kick of his legs that had him going deeper and deeper, he couldn't see her. Not a flash of hair or tan skin or nothing and he couldn't stop even when his lungs were at the point of bursting and his heart was constricting him and his dread was growing to the point of suffocation.

He was trying so hard not to go back up to the surface and breath in air that he almost missed the flash on honey brown color streak past. He stopped, trying to find that streak, hoping beyond hope that she was there and possibly still holding on to her breath and trying to survive but when he swam deeper and the pressure of the water began to press against his sides and he felt like he was going to pop, he saw a bigger, thicker blob of honey brown and he quickly swam to that section.

When he saw arms and legs he never passed out with relief but it was short lived because as he got closer, he found that she wasn't breathing.

At all.

The panic he was feeling had grown triple its size as he got closer to see her arms and legs floating as, moving as if the wind was slowly pushing it away from her body. Her hair was floating past her face and head, making her look like a ghost as the moonlight hit her body, illuminating her once tanned skin that was now white, whiter than a sheet of paper. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was half open, half closed.

When he saw her mouth, he lost it. He swam in record speed, grabbing her body, hating how cold and stiff she felt and he begged to the Man of the moon that he didn't just lost her, that she wasn't dead or anything. She couldn't be dead.

She had to live.

_Live._

He grabbed her body and began to swim with one arm wrapped around her waist and using his legs and one arm to swim up, his body shaking like an earthquake as he tried to quell the emotions that were choking him and the lack of air in his body was becoming torture but he refused to breath.

He kicked harder, his body achy and sore and he found that he couldn't swim much with her weight pulling her down. His mind was telling him to drop the extra weight, no use having them both die but he refused to listen. He _wouldn't _listen, never listen.

His heart beat fast and hard, giving him strength that he was losing. Anger pushed him to go faster and the desire to have her breathing and away from the water was enough to send him up higher into the hole that was showing the exit, the moonlight illuminating them heavily and he felt unknown warmth spread through his body and he held Kailani closer to his body, shivering at how cold and stiff she was, so unresponsive and unmoving and that unknown warmth had given him a boost and before he knew it, his head popped out of the water, his lungs burning as he took in deep gulps of breath, almost drowning in them.

North, Bunnymund, Tooth and Sandy all circled the hole, anxious faces peering down at him and at the body in his arms.

North and Tooth wasted no time in taking Kailani away from Jack and he nearly had to bite his tongue off because he didn't want to be away from her, wanted her body nearer to his but logically knew that his cold body wouldn't make much of a difference.

"You alright, mate?" Bunnymund asked and Jack climbed out of the water, his clothes dripping as the chill left his body and he felt so exhausted and tired and sore that he wanted to sleep for a long, long time.

He was still trying to breathe probably and was grateful when his heart had calmed down enough and his lungs didn't burn.

Until he heard North and Tooth saying that they couldn't find a pulse.

Despair and grief threatened to choke him to death and he grabbed his staff to stand up and flew rapidly to where North and Tooth were trying to get her breathe but failing.

"Move," Jack said, nearly knocking North away and Tooth was about to argue but North warned her not to say anything.

_"Jack..."_

No, he refused to believe, he absolutely refused to believe she was dead. She wasn't dead. She was just sleeping, just sleeping.

He knocked Tooth's hands away from Kailani's chest and started working on her herself. He personally hadn't done CPR but he spent enough time living to see and commit to memory what needed to be done.

But she was so cold and lifeless. Eyes closed, lips blue, skin white as snow, bruises under her eyes and he started to feel tears falling down his cheeks. He refused to let her die. To let the one person who tried her damnedest to hold on even when everything around her was falling apart. The one person who believed in him. The one person he can be with completely and utterly without a worry or a care in the world.

The one person who kept him connected and sane.

The one person who was dying.

"Jack..."

_"No!"_ He yelled, pumping his cold hands on her wet, stiff chest, trying to force her heart to pump, to get the blood going again, to get her moving again. "She's not dead. She's not dead."

He kept pumping, stopping to give her mouth to mouth, feeling dead, lifeless cold lips against his. He was on autopilot, refusing to let her hope and life go out like a flame, refusing to let her die, refusing to let her go.

He kept pumping, his arms sore and achy and stiff, pushing his burning arms to continue as he kept breathing in her mouth, trying to give her some of his life force, some of his soul, some of everything, anything to bring her back.

Images, memories of her laughing with him that first time they had officially met, the memory of her blush when they accidentally touched, the memory of her crying, the memory of their hug, the memory of their kiss, they were all swirling around like a tornado, pushing him past his limits, his heart refusing to believe what his mind had already accepted, a constant battle between insanity and sanity.

He pushed against her chest and kept breathing in. He didn't know how long he kept doing this but he was becoming numb and she wasn't responding and he knew that he was losing, losing her fast or probably he had already lost her.

_One more,_ he thought.

_One more, one more, one more. She'll come back. _

He kept pushing, finally yelling at her. "Come back, Kailani. Don't you _dare _die on me. Jamie and Sophie needs you_. I_ need you. You're a fighter. You fought to believe in me, in the Guardians..."

_Push, push, push, breathe._

"You fought to hold on to the connection between your father."

_Push, push, push, breathe._

"You fought even as the nightmares drained you."

_Push, push, push, breathe._

"You fought to keep holding on to your hopes."

_Push, push, push, breathe._

"To _me._"

_Push, push, push, breathe._

"You fought for Jamie, Sophie, your father..."

_Push, push, push, breathe._

"You fought against Pitch by holding on to your hope."

_Push, push, push, breathe._

"So now you fight! You fight against this! You fight whatever is holding you and come back."

_Push, push, push, breathe._

"I won't let you die like this. I won't let you die without fighting."

_Push, push, push, breathe._ Was that movement?

"Fight, dammit!"

_Push, push, push, breathe._

"_Fight!_ Fight for Jamie, for Sophie, for me, for your hopes and beliefs..."

_Push, push, push, breathe._ Was her chest moving? Was that a twitch?

"Fight for yourself! Don't die! I won't let you!"

_Push, push, push, breathe._

"Come on, Kailani! Breathe!" He yelled, still pumping, ignoring the Guardians who were looking at him as if he lost his mind and maybe he had, because somewhere he refused to believe he knew she was dead, that no human could survive in water, not for as long as she was in that water.

But his love that was burning like an inferno inside him. He refused to give up, refused to let go.

_Push, push, push, breathe._

The moonlight fell upon Jack and Kailani, no one noticing a thing out of the ordinary as Jack pushed and breathed in for her. The moonlight seemed to brighten on both of them, no one noticing the flicker of light entering Jack's back, going to his shoulders, down his arms, past his wrists, gathering in his hands, flowing inside of her body like water.

No one noticed a thing.

Only the Man of the Moon knew.

So, when Jack gave a final push, Kailani's body arched upwards as she choked and vomited out water, gasping for air like a dying fish, no one noticed the moonlight leave, bringing back the flicker of light that had entered Jack's body leave both of their bodies before flying up high into the sky like a falling star.

She was flailing as water fell out of her mouth, her eyes wide with terror and pain as her body jerked violently. She was dying of breath, bringing it in, dragging it in like it was her last.

Jack held her as she did, holding her, loving her, grateful to have her back, relief swamping his body so hard, he couldn't sit up without leaning on her. All those horrible emotions left him in a speed so fast, he was nearly delusional with the relief and gratitude.

She was back. She was dragging in air like crazy and shaking violently but she was _alive. _She was okay.

And Jack never felt such gratitude or relief until the moment she had opened her eyes, choking out water and dragging in air at the same time.

* * *

**Almost done with this story...only one more then the epilogue...hope you guys enjoyed it and wondering whethre people wanted a sequel..let me know in your reviews so i can get to work. i have an idea wats it about but i am open to suggestions such as jealousy in jack or the other way around..its up to you! so review please**


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